[New BMD Owner- Need Help]

We are the owners of a 5 month old Berner. We picked him up at 8 weeks from the breeder. He is pure bread. We have never had a Berner before and this is our first puppy. We have a young active family. We are struggling raising him and could use any help and suggestions. Due to COVID Our obedience Class was cancelled and he hasn’t been able to socialize with other people or dogs. Quite honestly he is a terror. Help!

 

[Lillith]

Ah, yes, the teenage puppy. They are incredibly challenging. What specific problems are you having? I'm sure we could write a novel on puppy problems.

 

[New BMD Owner- Need Help]

Hmm where to begin
First off we have a young family with little kids so I’m sure we can be doing more. Our attention is always darting around we definitely accept that responsibility. We take him for at least an hour or two of walks and give him a frozen Kong a few times a day, as well as teach him the basics; sit, lay down and come. He struggles with his impulses below though
-mouthy, nippy and aggressive at times
-can not get him to settle when he is out in the house with us. We have a mud room which we have made his home and he loves it but he never settles when we have him out with us and it’s a struggle to allow him around when our 3 year old is playinb because the puppy just jumps up and knocks him over.
-jumps up on the couch and then gets aggressive when we try to get him to move (we have never taught him to jump on the furniture).
-struggles on a leash at times although we moved to a harness and that is a huge help

We have started to have the re-home conversation which makes me very sad and angry. Teaching our children responsibility is a huge part of this and we feel like We are failing on all fronts. But we have to do what is best for the kids and the puppy. HELP!!!

 

[parus]

These are all totally normal behaviors for a puppy. If you can hang in there until he's about 18 months old it'll pass. It's just exacerbated because he's a big boy. I just went through this with my standard poodle puppy - my previous dog lived to be 17 years old so I'd forgotten how rotten puppies were, haha. I'll post some training and management suggestions later when I have a minute, but in the meantime, Google "it's your choice" and "sit on the dog," both of which helped my pup learn to be marginally less infuriating.

 

[3GSD4IPO]

Get the book, "How to Raise a Puppy You can Live with" by Clarence Rutherford. It is very comprehensive and can be very helpful for a first time puppy owner. I do not agree with every word in the book, but if you have never had a dog before it is a good choice!!

Also, socializing is NOT letting your puppy MEET other people and dogs. Socializing is a terrible descriptor for getting your puppy out and around to see other dogs and other people but NOT to go face to face. In fact, if people want to pet the puppy the answer is NO.. your puppy is a little kid. Did you let strangers pick up and hold your babies? The object of socialization is for the puppy to see different things in the world and to learn you are their safe place.

A puppy of this size is not a good play mate for a 3 year old. Puppies bite, the jump, the run fast and knock little kids over. They are not calm and snuggly at all.. get your 3 year old a stuffed toy dog for that.

Toddlers such as 3 year olds do not know how to act around dogs. They will pull on them, sit on them and poke them.. and the dog should not be sat on, poked or pulled. Keep the three year old and the puppy separated and help the 3 year old learn how to properly behave around dogs.