[danahammer]

Hello, so some of you might remember my post last month. I received a puppy as a suprise pet,and have never owned a puppy before. I got some advice, decided to keep her, and now, a month later I'm kind of freaking out about it.

1) She screams and cries when left in her crate at night. I know you're supposed to ignore it but it goes on for hours sometimes. I need to sleep at some point. She has currently been screaming off and on for like an hour and a half. She only stopped because I came into the living room and turned on the tv and laptop and stay here. But I can't do this every night. I am dealing with some serious sleep deprivation. I haven't slept normally since I got her. Does anyone have any ideas about how I can restrain her at night so she doesn't harm herself or other things, but isn't so distressed that she screams incessantly? I can't handle it anymore. I'm done.

2) I feel extremely guilty about leaving her home alone all day while I'm at work. I have a long commute so she's out there in the yard alone for a really long time. I leave toys, water, and bought her a dog house (which she won't use) to make her as comfortable as possible, but realistically, I don't know how much time a puppy should be spending alone, period. I don't do long drawn out goodbyes, nor do I greet her with excitement - I know that's bad - but she doesn't seem happy about being alone. Ever. And by the time I'm home I'm so tired, it's all I can do to just feed her, walk her, and work on commands for a bit.

3) She is crazy hyper. I don't have any idea what to do about this. Whenever we go places I always feel like the worst dog owner in the world. All the other dogs are so well behaved, but Molly just jumps around and runs and freaks out because she wants to meet everyone she sees, at the expense of my arm health and her dignity. I keep doing the "off" thing when she jumps on things, but it doesn't work. She jumps and jumps. Which is apparantly bad for her because she's long and skinny, but I can't seem to make her stop.

4) Walks are less than fun with her at this point. She either wants to race ahead at lightning speed or stop and smell everything. EVERYTHING. And she weaves all about like she's a drunk driver. I can sometimes make her walk in a straight line, but only if I dangle treats above her head. And that doesn't work all the time.

I'm just crazy super frustrated. Any advice/solutions would be most helpful. I'm considering giving her to a stay-at-home-mom-type family so she'll have the attention she deserves, even though it would break my heart. She really is an adorable, friendly, awesome little puppy, and I feel like a total failure as a puppy owner. My biggest concern is that she's not getting enough attention, but I can't quit my job, you know?

 

[poodleholic]

danahammer;585747]1) She screams and cries when left in her crate at night. I know you're supposed to ignore it but it goes on for hours sometimes. I need to sleep at some point. She has currently been screaming off and on for like an hour and a half. She only stopped because I came into the living room and turned on the tv and laptop and stay here. But I can't do this every night. I am dealing with some serious sleep deprivation. I haven't slept normally since I got her. Does anyone have any ideas about how I can restrain her at night so she doesn't harm herself or other things, but isn't so distressed that she screams incessantly? I can't handle it anymore. I'm done.

Put her crate next to your bed. End of problem. Puppies don't like to be alone.

2) I feel extremely guilty about leaving her home alone all day while I'm at work. I have a long commute so she's out there in the yard alone for a really long time. I leave toys, water, and bought her a dog house (which she won't use) to make her as comfortable as possible, but realistically, I don't know how much time a puppy should be spending alone, period. I don't do long drawn out goodbyes, nor do I greet her with excitement - I know that's bad - but she doesn't seem happy about being alone. Ever. And by the time I'm home I'm so tired, it's all I can do to just feed her, walk her, and work on commands for a bit.

We all have to work. When I'm at work, my puppy is in her crate, where she is safe, and feels secure. Dogs sleep a good 16-18 hrs. a day, so they're sleeping when we're away, anyway. (So dump the guilt!)

What breed is she, and how old?

There have been times when I was too tired to do much more than feed my dogs (4), and maybe got in a walk. Don't worry so much, and besides, dogs are content to be around you even when you're doing nothing - or even sleeping!

3) She is crazy hyper. I don't have any idea what to do about this. Whenever we go places I always feel like the worst dog owner in the world. All the other dogs are so well behaved, but Molly just jumps around and runs and freaks out because she wants to meet everyone she sees, at the expense of my arm health and her dignity.

Pretty normal puppy behavior. She may need more exercise than she's getting to burn off pent-up energy. Mental stimulation helps, as well. A lot depends on the breed (so, again, what breed, how old?). Exposing her to diverse people, places, and things is very important to young puppies, even if all you do is hang out outside the grocery store, so she can meet and greet lots of people. Have you taken her to puppy kindergarten, or enrolled her in an obedience class? If not, do so, ASAP. The sooner you learn how to communicate what you want to your puppy, the happier you both will be!

I keep doing the "off" thing when she jumps on things, but it doesn't work. She jumps and jumps. Which is apparantly bad for her because she's long and skinny, but I can't seem to make her stop.

Then distract and redirect her to do something else. She doesn't know what "off" means, and if you repeat the word more than once, it may even egg her on, much like pushing a dog away who is jumping on you - the dog thinks you're playing, and just gets wilder. Ask for a behavior she does know (like sit). If she doesn't know any cues (like sit, down, come), then distract her - maybe clap your hands and call her name, while walking briskly to another room. She will follow you.

4) Walks are less than fun with her at this point. She either wants to race ahead at lightning speed or stop and smell everything. EVERYTHING. And she weaves all about like she's a drunk driver. I can sometimes make her walk in a straight line, but only if I dangle treats above her head. And that doesn't work all the time.

Don't feel bad. Lots of more experienced people than you have difficulty getting their dogs to walk nicely on lead. I play a game of fetch to burn off some of the energy before walking one of my dogs. It works wonders. However, you would do yourself a great service if you enrolled in an obedience class, so you can learn how to train your dog, and effectively communicate with her.

I'm just crazy super frustrated. Any advice/solutions would be most helpful. I'm considering giving her to a stay-at-home-mom-type family so she'll have the attention she deserves, even though it would break my heart. She really is an adorable, friendly, awesome little puppy, and I feel like a total failure as a puppy owner. My biggest concern is that she's not getting enough attention, but I can't quit my job, you know?

My daughter felt much the same way about her insanely wild and unruly dog she took in as a puppy, who'd been tossed along a freeway with her littermates. I showed her what to do, and how to do it (and checked in on them several days a week!), and lo and behold, we now have a Delilah who sits, and does not jump on people and rip the skin off their arms! LOL She's walking nicely on lead, too, although sometimes she backslides!

You've never had a dog, so how are you supposed to magically know what to do, until you learn. An obedience class will help a great deal. And again, most of us have to work, and our dogs do just fine. I live by myself, and work the overnight shift. I have to sleep during the day. Do my dogs care? Heck, no! They're content and happy to have me there, sleeping or not. On the weekends when I'm awake during the day - the dogs are napping!

See if you've got a local dog training club in your area, because they're likely to charge quite a bit less for classes. Or, try the SPCA - my grandson enrolled in a class for kids his age and their dogs, and he was very surprised by how much he enjoyed it (and has enrolled for another)!

 

[danahammer]

Thanks very much! This has really helped alleviate my guilt. I do currently take her to a puppy training class, and she does really well with "sit" and "stay" unless she is in hyper mode, or unless she smells something interesting. Unfortunately, we are the only people in the "class" so she is not learning how to interact with other dogs, or how to stay calm around people, so I'll have to figure something out for that.

She is a basset hound, 5 months old. I got her about a month ago.

Again, thanks very much!

 

[briteday]

1. Try the crate next to your bed. If she still howls then move the crate into a garage that is cool enough with our summer heat, or somewhere to the other end of the house where you can't hear her.

2. Doggy daycare or a young teenager / tween (too young to have a real job yet but old enough to be responsible to come in for a few hours each day) are wonderful things. Doggy daycare could be a couple of days each week just to take the boredom factor out of things. And a repsonsible young person who maybe can't have a dog of their own would probably work for very little $$$ and still be thrilled to have the job. You might try checking with friends that have children who use babysitters. They are often some of the best dogsitters. Ask what your friends pay per hour for a babysitter and offer that as an hourly wage for dogsitting.

3. Crazy hyper...she's a puppy. They have endless energy after they've had hours upon hours of downtime while you're at work. And she loves you, spending time with you, being your buddy. More exercise would be the key. And there will come a day when you wonder what happened to that "crazy hyper dog."

4. Walking nicely on a leash is just a matter of practice and training. And getting that initial burst of energy out. I usually play with my dogs in the backyard for a bit before we go on a walk. Seriously, if the dog has been alone all day sleeping then a walk is like taking a hungry child into a candy shop. I totally believe in taking my dogs out of the yard and house every day for mental and physical stimulation. The same 4 walls and the same squirrels in the yard get old after a day or two. Think of this as money you are saving since you don't need to go to the gym. Your dog's needs can be your own exercise as well as hers. We get up at 5AM in the summer so that we can take our little dogs on a 3-mile hike into the foothills around our house. But any walk would do. If the weather is cool enough in the evening we walk them again, trying to stay off pavement heated by the heat of the day...look for grassy areas to walk or try finding the local dog parks. And really, the fresh air and sunshine is good for us as well as the dog. I think you might even feel increased energy if you got out and walked / played with your dog. Try just sitting in a lawn chair at first and throwing a ball or playing withwater from a hose...before going on a walk.

I hope you keep the pup if she makes your heart happy and provides you companionship. But shelters and breeders actively discourage "gifts" of dogs for the very reasons you are expressing. Often the "giftee" does not have the time or energy in their lives at the time to feel good about owning a dog. Use your judgement. But think of this as a benefit to your own health. It is very true that owning a dog adds years to our lives and life to our years.

 

[Suzi]

We are also first-time owners, and have had quite some success with keeping the puppy occupied with a smoked cow hoof or smoked rawhide bones. He loooves them, his tail starts to vibrate when he sees us taking them out, and he kinda loses interest in trying to play (read: bite our calves) for a while. (some people say rawhide is bad because bits of it can get stuck in their throats, so it's a judgment call)

His crate is in my brother's bedroom, so he is fine, but sometimes we have to put him to bed by himself when my bro's not there, and we lure him in with treats and sit with him in the dark for a few minutes till he's quiet, then we leave and ignore his barks/howls, and he falls asleep b/c he's tired by that point.

Can't help you with the other problems, we're still struggling with them!

 

[Bugsy]

I'm a first time dog owner as well. I think one trick I learned (sort of like what Suzi mentioned in the post above) was letting him fall asleep by us while we were watching TV at night or something. And then putting him in his crate (which is in my bedroom). He'd whine for about 15 minutes but we'd totally ignore him. And he'd go to sleep. Now a month and a half later IF he does whine, it's for 10 seconds max. We still have his crate in our bedroom though. Don't know how he'd do sleeping by himself in the other rooms of the apartment.

 

[danahammer]

Thanks guys! I'm feeling a lot better now that it's not 3 am haha. I will try walking her more - currently walk her twice a day, but the morning walk is really short - just around the block, since I have to get ready for work.

I like the idea of putting the crate in the bedroom, but my bedroom is too small, sadly. I'll figure something out soon - I'll have to!

 

[Keechak]

also as a last resort you can try what I did with my dogs. Yes I am cruel but it worked for me.

The dog would start whinning in the crate and I would immediatly slam my hand down on the top of the crate. If you keep the kennel in close proximity and they don't see you they have no idea it's you and they wont associate the scary noise with you. All my dogs were trained to keep quite in the crate this way. all my dogs still love the crate and it only took two to three days for them to be quite.

 

[Willowy]

The dog would start whinning in the crate and I would immediatly slam my hand down on the top of the crate. If you keep the kennel in close proximity and they don't see you they have no idea it's you and they wont associate the scary noise with you. All my dogs were trained to keep quite in the crate this way. all my dogs still love the crate and it only took two to three days for them to be quite.

I read that in a dog training book a long time ago, and tried it with Willow. Didn't do any good at all. Probably made things worse. Anyway she never got used to the crate and I gave up on it. I wonder how often it actually does work?

 

[Keechak]

I read that in a dog training book a long time ago

ya it's one of those old school techniques. ("old school" as in fear based training instead of positive reinforcement) All I know is I get great results out of using it.

I think doing it at such a young age, my dogs at first learned not to bark because they were afraid of bringing on the "big scary noise" and then ended up just forgetting about the big scary noise after a while.

*shrug* I don't really know what goes through their minds

 

[Lwood]

I am on my second round of having a puppy. I sent an e-mail to my breeder at 1 a.m. myself the other day with the same crying-in-the-crate question you did and I am at home all day with my puppy at this point so it's not just you being gone. Moving the crate into our bedroom has basically solved the problem. He whines at bedtime for about 2 minutes and then again after he pees at 3 a.m. (He's only 9 weeks) and this morning he slept until 7:45! Maybe you could find a smaller crate just for this puppy stage and then later he could sleep on your bedroom floor or he might be fine with sleeping elsewhere by that time.

For the walking, have you looked into a gentle leader? It might have a calming effect on him. It was the only thing that really worked with one of my dogs.

As for the crazy hyper part, the more games/training you do with him, the more tired he'll get. Try a 5 minute game of laser tag (watch out for the light being near his eyes) while you're winding down with a glass of wine when you get home. Or, how about 5 minutes of trick training while you are cooking dinner. My dogs love a game of hide-and-seek in the house and the combined mental stimulation and physical exercise really works. There are lots of websites that can give you "tricks" and games that provide both the mental and physical stimulation they need.

Remember that puppies have an adolescence just like humans. Most dogs calm down as they age.

 

[danahammer]

Thanks! I definitely am going to start doing some trick training with her, for sure. Right now, I am trying to make her walks longer, and I blow bubbles for her and let her jump around and try to get them which is helping some. She doesn't like fetching though, which is sad, because that would be an easy way to tire her out . I am thinking about putting her on my treadmill - I saw Cesar Milan do it on tv and I think maybe that would be a good way for her to release some energy. Thanks again!

 

[bwfreas]

I can relate to your situation somewhat. I got my puppy when he was 3 months old (hes now 4 months so we are just past the 1 month point). He's not quite as hyper as your dog but hes very much a puppy. He cries for around 10-15 min when I first put him in the crate but after that hes quiet. I learned that any type of toys/treats that "buy you time" are worth their weight in gold. Obviously the KONG is the end all be all. Put some fat free plain yogurt in there with some of his food morsels, a few treats and freeze it...give that to her when shes in the crate and she will be so busy with it she will either tire herself out to the point of passing out or she will just be used to being in the crate by the time she realizes it that hopefully there is less or no crying. Also - if you want some time to yourself - give the frozen KONG to her and you just bought yourself about 30-60 minutes. My dog is relentless with the KONG and he goes after the treats inside with reckless abandon and it takes him about 45 min to clean it out. Those moments are priceless. Also - "busy bones" or any type of hard chewable treat with a stuffing in the middle will also prove very useful i nthe same was as the KONG.

Don't feel bad about leaving her alone for the day - I do the same thing. Hes in the crate while my wife and I are at work. I do have a dog walker that comes about 12-15 days a month in the middle of the day to give him a potty break and a leg stretch which is something maybe you can look into as well but dont feel bad - as time goes on she will get used to the routine and you can feel less guilt. Shes a puppy right now and with you never having owned a puppy before there are a lot of things that both you and her need to get used to about each other. It just takes time but you will find that the time you put in now is VERY much worth it and will make things all the more better in the years to come.

As for the walking situation - you just need to have some patience with her. My dog wants to go up every single driveway we walk by, literally. He too stops to smell and/or lick anything he can. The world is new to them. That object that they see/smell is totally new and they want very much to know what it is. I usually let him explore within appropriate limits for a few seconds/minutes then I break his attention and continue on our way. I bring treats with me and when he gets a little stubborn I show it to him and let him smell it and follow it which will usually get him back on track - you do have to give him the treat every so often though otherwise he will learn that hes not going to get it and to just not follow it.

Don't give up. Believe me I know what your going through at this point. This is my first dog too and we got him at 3 months. It is a learning process with its ups and downs but I believe very strongly that getting them at this age and going through these things will only improve your lives together exponentially in the future.

Hope this helps - sorry for the novel of a post, feel free to email/message me anytime

[email protected]

 

[scropper]

i really think you should try and make room for the crate in your bedroom somehow. our puppy was the same way and literally over night she did a 180 and now she sleeps ALL night without waking. have you tried giving her a small meal 30-60 minutes before bed time? i know people think that is bad but our puppy eats a mix of crushed puppy food and warm water around 8:30 PM and will go out around 9 PM and then be asleep at our feet in front of the TV by 9:30 PM. we gently take her to her crate and say lay down, good night and that's it! we also put a light blankie over the crate so she can't get distracted by us walking by and such. it makes it feel "den" like.

i also think your pup needs to be in their crate while you are at work. they will be safer and you won't have to worry about them chewing things or bad weather. we walk our pup around 7:30-8 PM and then do the warm small meal 30 minutes afterward. normally the big walk and warm food in her tummy wipes her out. lol.

i hope this helps. but if all else fails and you know someone she will be better off with, i wouldn't feel so bad giving her up. but only if you are very sure they are a better match.

 

[nekomi]

For the crate... here are some suggestions (I do think that putting the crate by your bed is a great suggestion, BTW):

1. Get the DVD "Crate Games" by Susan Garrett. I swear, this is the best dog purchase I ever made. I have 3 rescues, one of which was terrified of crates when she first arrived. The techniques in that DVD made a WORLD of difference in their attitudes towards their crates!

2. To help in the "here and now" - one word - EARPLUGS! It sounds ridiculous, but with crate training 3 adult rescues, earplugs were my savior. It allowed me to get some real sleep and ignore their howling and carrying-on, allowing the behavior to be extinquished more quickly. This is not a suggestion for EVERY situation, though. If the dog urgently does need to get out of the crate, you won't know - so this suggestion is at your discretion.

3. One technique I've heard works well, is that if the dog barks, you cover the crate completely with a blanket. After a period of quiet, you uncover the crate. Quiet = allowed to see out of the crate, loud = isolated. I heard that they learn very fast that being quiet is the best way to go.

I hope these tips help. I know how frustrating crate training can be.

Oh, and for loose-leash walking... my favorite technique is taught in Sue Ailsby's Training Levels (http://www.dragonflyllama.com). Here is the excerpt on leash walks, since it's hard to find on her website if you don't know where to look.

LEASH

DISCUSSION: Ah, the elusive loose leash! This is probably the most difficult behaviour you will ever teach your dog – for both of you! Loose Leash is the definitive Zen-as-a-way-of-life behaviour. Put extra time and energy into teaching it to a puppy, and you may never have to think of it again. Imagine yourself walking into an agility venue loaded down with your chair, cooler, umbrella, dog dish, folding crate. And while everyone else is either making two trips or getting dragged in, YOUR dog is walking perfectly on a loose leash.
I have to think that people who attend seminars are pretty much the cream of the crop of dog people – people who want to learn more and go out of their way to do so. Yet the one behaviour that these people want most to learn about is Loose Leash.

What's the difference between Loose Leash and Heeling? Plenty. Heeling is a competition behaviour involving the dog remaining perfectly in position, spine aligned with your own, watching you or watching straight ahead (depending on your criteria), sitting promptly and straight when you stop, not thinking about anything but Heeling. A thing of beauty, indeed, but NOT a behaviour to use casually like getting from the car to the house with an armload of groceries. NOT a behaviour to use on an evening two-mile stroll. Heeling is very hard work for the dog. Think of it as marching in a drill team, constantly thinking about your position in the team. Loose Leash Walking, on the other hand, is like going for a walk lightly holding hands with your favourite person. You stay together, you know he's there, but you don't have to be thinking about him every second. You can look at the sky, notice other people, wave to someone, look in store windows as you pass. Loose Leash Walking is a lifestyle behaviour. It's a behaviour the dog automatically gives you because that's the way life works. Once she understands it, it's easy for her, and a pleasant way to live, because dogs who go for walks get to go LOTS more places than dogs who take their owners for drags!

EASY BEGINNINGS: The good news is, Loose Leash is incredibly easy to teach. The bad news is, it's incredibly difficult to teach because you have to pay attention to the leash ALL THE TIME THE LEASH IS ON. Argh.

If you have a puppy who doesn't understand about leashes yet, go slowly. Put the collar on, click for not fussing with it. Play a game with the puppy to take her mind off the collar. When she's comfortable, add a short leash and let her drag it around. Again, click for not fussing and do something to help her forget she's dragging a snake around from her neck (oh, let me think… how about FEEDING her?). When she's used to it, sit down and put a TINY bit of pressure on the leash. Not enough to scare her or kick in her freedom reflex, just enough so she knows it's there. Then call her, make interesting noises, show her a toy, whatever you have to do to show her that she can release the pressure by moving WITH it (towards you). While you're working on this, remember that this is a counterintuitive response for any mammal – her body KNOWS the way to get away from pressure is to push INTO the pressure, so when the leash tightens, her instinctive reaction is to tighten it more. You have to show her that her body isn't telling her the truth about leashes.

Continued...

 

[nekomi]

Once the dog is comfortable with the leash, she'll start pulling on it to get where she wants to go. Now we run smack up against a point of view problem. YOU see "She's not going to make ME go faster than I want to go! We'll go at MY speed" and SHE sees "Man, this human is so slow, I have to pull really hard to get him to go anywhere!" And there's the key right there. Are you going to tell her that she HAS to pull to get anywhere? Or are you going to tell her that pulling NEVER gets her anywhere, that the ONLY way to get where she wants to go is by giving you a loose leash?

Look on today as the first day of the rest of the dog's life. From now on, a tight leash will never, NEVER, NEVER go where the dog wants it to go. That single sentence is truly the key to teaching this behaviour. Go early to class. Go home from the dog park if you can't get to it on a loose leash. Be ready to take your time. If you HAVE to go somewhere and you DON'T have time to get a loose leash, then think of something else: a) give up the idea of getting a loose leash, or b) put the dog on a halter or non-pull harness for times when you can't wait, or c) put the dog on a harness and let her pull that, or d) carry her, or e) stick hot dogs in her face and let her nibble them all the way or, g) play tug all the way or h) – c'mon, your turn. Set yourself up right NOW for when time is tight. I will drag or be dragged out to the car if my kid has a broken leg, if the dog just swallowed a knife, or if my house is burning down. Otherwise, I'm not going anywhere with the leash tight.

Yes, your attitude is the most important factor in teaching Loose Leash. Now that we've got that settled, let's get started.

No distractions, of course. Empty living room, basement, or back yard. SIX FOOT leash at least half an inch wide for a 40 pound dog, 3⁄4 of an inch for a 70 pound dog, and an inch for anything over that. Put your thumb through the loop, wrap the leash once around your hand (the same one) from thumb to palm to back to thumb to palm, and put both hands together and grab your belt buckle. Except for dropping treats, your hands will stay there all the time you're talking about loose leashes.

Define a loose leash as a leash with the snap hanging straight down from the collar. If the leash supports the snap in any way, the leash is no longer loose.
Click X 50 for the dog being near you (if these stages take several days, that's fine). If the dog is near you, the leash is 6' long, and you're only holding one hand-wrap of it, the leash is loose. Right? Right.

Then start walking slowly around the room. Click A LOT for the dog being near you. Not for looking at you, not for sitting when you stop, not for being on your left side, just for being near you. And if he's near you, the leash is loose. Right? Right. Click X 50 for walking near you with a loose leash.

Now it gets tougher. Give the dog a focal point – something she really wants to get to: a door, a large treat, a toy, another person, whatever. Put the focal point at one end of the longest area you have. Start at the other end of your long area, leash properly wrapped. Start walking slowly toward the focal point, clicking rapidly for a loose leash.

If the dog gets all the way to the focal point with the leash loose, she can have it/eat it/go through it/play with it/whatever. Then start again.

If she doesn't get all the way to it without tightening the leash, you back up. No, don't turn around, back up. Back up. Back up more. Back up until you're completely out of the focal point's "attraction zone", until the dog is barely remembering it's there. Click X10 for a loose leash, and start walking forward again.

As long as the leash is loose (remember, that means the snap is hanging straight down), you walk forward toward the focal point. As soon as the leash gets tight (that is, as soon as the snap moves, or as soon as you see the dog ABOUT to make it tight), back up as far as you need to so she loosens the leash and stops trying to get where she wanted to go. Click X5 for a loose leash and start walking forward again.

Whether you click for a loose leash as you're walking forward or not is up to you. Some people think the explanation is clearer with clicking for a loose leash as they walk, others think the focal point getting closer and further away is best by itself. Your choice.

PROBLEM SOLVING:

I BACK UP AND SHE COMES WITH ME, BUT THEN JAMS RIGHT BACK TO THE END OF THE LEASH AS SOON AS I STOP! You're not going back far enough. She has to be totally convinced that the focal point is unobtainable from where she is. Anytime you start getting into a yoyo action, back up further next time. Read the first couple of Levels of Zen again.

SHE WANTS THE SQUIRREL SO BAD SHE CAN'T REMEMBER! Wanting the squirrel is super, you've got a good focal point. If she can't give you a loose leash, you're still too close to it. You want to work at the dog's threshold of behaviour, not where she can't think for excitement. A block away (582 steps) from the squirrel, can she give you a loose leash? How about 581 steps from the squirrel? 580? 575? 570? 565… oops, that was too close. Back up again!

My llama studs walk on loose leashes to the breeding pens, because they know in their souls that no amount of pulling is going to get them where they want to go. The GOOD news is that once they figure that out, they put all their enthusiasm into keeping the leash LOOSE instead of into tightening it!

SHE'S RIGHT BESIDE ME BUT THE LEASH IS TIGHT! I hate to point this out, but she can't make it tight all by herself. If you're working with a 6' leash, you have it wrapped once around your hand, the dog is right beside you, and the leash is tight, YOU must be holding it tight with your other hand!

SHE CAN PULL ME, SO I CAN'T BACK UP! Remember I told you to put both hands together, grab your belt buckle, and keep them there? Now put your dominant foot forward a bit, toes turned out about 45 degrees. Put your other foot back a bit, toes also turned out. Put most of your weight on your back foot, use your front foot for balance. Sink your body down a little to lower your centre of gravity. If you know someone who does any martial art, ask him to show you how. From this position, a 300-pound llama can't pull a 90-pound kid.If your dog can still pull you from this position, you're going to have to put a halter on her, or a no-pull harness because you need a little mechanical help.

SHE ISN'T GOING IN ONE DIRECTION – SHE JUST PULLS ME HERE AND THEN THERE AND ALL OVER THE PLACE! Ah, too many focal points! You need ONE thing the dog will really want to get to, and NOTHING else of interest in the vicinity. You can't teach this without a SINGLE focal point. Set yourself up to succeed.

I CAN'T REMEMBER TO KEEP IT LOOSE! Somewhere I saw a device that clips on between the dog's collar and the leash that beeps when it gets tight. Or hire a kid to walk around with you and remind you. Or give yourself a talking-to so it truly becomes a priority. Or give it up and let the dog pull you for the rest of her life. Being inconsistent about a loose leash will only teach her to pull harder.

ADDING A CUE: The cue I use for Loose Leash is just the leash. I want this to be a default behaviour – one that occurs just because that's the way life works. You roll out of bed, you fall on the floor. Gravity. That's the way life works. You're wearing a leash, the leash is loose. That's the way life works. On the very odd occasion when the dog forgets, I just use a little voice correction – Hey! Or Uh!

CONTINUING EDUCATION: Testing this Level involves standing still in one place while the dog keeps the leash loose for one minute with one distraction, but don't try to teach standing still. Backing up is MUCH easier. Once she's good at walking with a loose leash, standing still should be easy. A word of warning, though – don't put yourself in a standing-still position where you CAN'T back up if you need to!

Remember the beginning of this behaviour was the beginning of the dog's new Loose Leash life? Practise it everywhere. And don't EVER let the dog pull you from now on. Loose leashes go in the direction the dog wants them to. Tight leashes go AWAY from wherever the dog wants them to go. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to the park, to get into class, to get where you need to go with the dog so you don't get yourself into a situation where you tell her that pulling still works to get what she wants.

OK, and it says I need 10 characters in my message, so here they are.

 

[scropper]

nekomi stated in their long advice post (lol) that covering the crate while they whine and uncovering it when they are quiet might help. that doesn't work for me. when we uncover my puppy's crate she whines and gets excited because she sees me. when it is covered she doesn't know anyone is around and lays down. i guess this depends on the dog.

 

[Marsh Muppet]

Puppies are cute for a very good reason. Puppies are a pain. All of them. All of what you describe is normal puppy stuff. They have their agenda; you have yours. It takes time, effort, and consistency to make it all work out. Getting frustrated won't help matters, and it is wasted energy that can be better spent on something else.

I'll reiterate my suggestion that you smack the person who gifted you a Basset puppy. I like a 26 oz. carpenter's hammer wrapped in a thick towel. That won't help you manage your puppy's behavior either, but it may make you feel better.