# General naughtiness??



## Aliwebb (Nov 12, 2012)

Diesel is 9 months old totally loveable, affectionate boy...but we seem to be having the same behavioural issues over and over again.1st is the jumping up at people especially if they walk through the front door we push him down and shout no and encourage visitors to do the same and have from day 1 yet makes no difference the same as charging at certain people when we are out walking,with some he literally leaves the ground to get his tongue on them!!

Then there's the pinching food,if my 4yr old walks along with food in his hand diesel will snatch it away or jump on him should he be sat down.he constantly jumps up at the work tops and on the prowl for food,he's eating his own food and the vet has said his diet/weight is perfect he's on very good quality food so don't think he's hungry just greedy perhaps? 

We did go to puppy classes when he was 17 weeks old for 7 weeks just to see what they were like and although when I had his attention he was perfect and would do what was asked of him and was the 1st in all the agility games he would not stop pulling and barking at other dogs he wasn't aggressive but just wanted to be sniffing and playing with them,the instructor spent so much time singling him out for what not to do we didnt go back,I didn't want a dog that would roll over when told just 1 that would come back when we shouted.which he does, his recall is fantastic we have had the odd occasion where he's ignored me but not many.walking in his familiar area can bring out the worst in him as people walking by get barked at and he stands on his hind legs to where hes almost walking like it.i do use a harness quite a bit as he pulls I'm still correcting and using heel but it depends on his mood as to weather he listens or not I do have a terrier and think they fight to be the 1 in front.thats another issue,the terrier is 9 and diesel knocks him off his feet by steaming into him when we are out, the play fighting seems to have got a little nasty and I get stuck in and scold diesel and chase him off.is this him trying to dominate? We have had him castrated as our other is and that suits us so I'm hoping all the testosterone calms down because I feel so sorry for my other dog.hes even put the cat out,he chases him out of the house I'm sure it's just play as he gets excited and if the cat stood his ground diesel would back off as the cats 10 and always come and gone as he pleased last thing he needs is this but I don't know how to stop it?! Ok last thing and I'm sorry if this is going on and on ...CHEWING!! He chews up all his toys even the ones that are supposed to be indestructible.hes not interested in the kong products but anything else lasts about 15 minutes!when he has nothing left of his own its the kids cuddly toys,Lego,pens,my sandels anything he can fit in his mouth...how do I stop this??some1 said boredom but I can't see how he has 2 walks a day that are 30-60 minutes long we live near tons of fields so he just runs and runs normally meeting up with other dogs.im a stay at home mum so he's not left for hours and hours on end.?! We all love him to bits and wouldn't be without him at all but these things frustrate us as feels like constantly on at him.will he grow out of these things or is there something we aren't doing???


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## lonestar (Jun 2, 2013)

There's a lot here, Ali. Let me start with some of the basics and tell me if it fits.

1) Jumping. This is an instinctual thing for them, it's a greeting...they don't realize their own size. It's best to have a lead on him for control, and it should be a snug fitting large chain, ditch the harness. Have him sit (or at least keep him close to you) when someone arrives and ask the human to bend down to greet Diesel at HIS eye level. If he can greet the human at eye level (which is why he jumps up), then you avoid the jumping part, whilst giving him the opportunity to say hi. Praise lots, too, with "good down, good boy!" he should learn to associate "Down" with floor and good with that. Be consistent, be patient. Jumping is one of the hardest things to change.

2) Scarfing food. This is a bit instinctual too...that survival instinct...and a touch of cunning. The solution here is to 1) Make sure you're not giving him the opportunity to snatch the food in the first place....I'm serious, often a lot of the bad behavior is merely opportunistic, and a 4 year old is an easy target. If this happens at other times, like at dinner (yours), put him in his crate, and at the end of the meal give him a treat or snack to reinforce his behavior. If he's cruising around, and seems like he's always on the prowl for viddles, adjust his feed times. How often are you feeding him? When? Is there a pattern to this behavior? He might be getting all the calories he needs, but he might be eating at the wrong intervals, so he could still be hungry. It's Ok to divide the total daily portion into 2 or 3 meals.

3) If I hear another story about a bozo puppy kindergarten instructor, I'm going to scream. It's regrettable you had a bad experience, it's totally wrong to single out any dog (or their owner) for criticism or to use them as an example of badness, there are tactful ways of handling these situations so everyone can appreciate the learning experience without humiliation. Anyways, barking and pulling are fairly common in 9 month olds, the barking is a sign of either excitement or protection and arent problematic unless accompanied by other behaviors (or the neighbors complain). Consider one of those new leashes that fit over their muzzle....they work by stimulating a nerve in their face so when they pull, they have a natural reaction to stop..or at the very least, get a larger chain so you can snap it to get their attention. Practice walking by stopping frequently and changing directions abruptly so he focuses on you and not the ground or whatever is distracting him. Praise a lot when he is looking at you and not pulling. And stay at it, it takes a while.

4) Neutering will not change a lot of the behaviors you're concerned about. These are behavioral issues not at all related to testosterone (which at 9 mos. isnt flowing yet anyways). The two dogs will need to work it out, what seems unbearable for us isn't often the case for them, they have a way of expressing when they've had enough, and if the terrier isnt there yet, then he's probably OK with it. Besides, you have enough to deal with, and you dont want to overwhelm yourself or Diesel with too much at once.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

I have a slightly different understanding why they jump. It has to do with their noses. There are two areas dogs usually greet... The mouth and the bum/genial area. 
These areas are like their business cards and carry all info they need to get to know each other. 
Is it any wonder why they do the same with humans? 

There are ways to minimize this behavior...

1 stay out of reach (keep the dog away)

2 play with their mind!.. Throw a piece of yummy food morsel on the ground in the vicinity of the guest. 
Sooner or later the dog will figure out the treat is more fun than jumping up at the person to smell their breath. 

3. Pick a spot and ask the dog to sit/stay.
The doorbell rings, pencil head walks through the door and if the dog moves, the whole show grinds to a halt and starts over again. It's essential the visitor understands, the dog must be ignored completely, not even eye contact is allowed at the beginning. 
It is unwise to engage the dog as it will defeat all efforts and the poor thing has no choice but to jump up in excitement.


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

I suffer all the same applications ;D

and trust me the Testosterone levels are spiked  :-*

Doc all these beaches all these clams?

Do I even need the clam gun? : ;D


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