Driving Me Crazy!!

[Roxadee]

Okay, I'm over my head here! For the most part Grace is great! Quick to learn but destructive as hell. I try to walk her (weather permitting) I am trying to get her to not do all the things she shouldn't like, dig, bark, run from me, get into everything even after she is told not to over and over and over again. She is forever bullying my chihuahua, she has had enough and is now taking up for herself. Gracie is after all a BC, I knew what I was getting into when I purchased her, I didn't however know that it is never ending, doesn't calm down ever! What am I doing wrong because I know its me and not her. HELP!!! Grace is MY dog, and I love love love her, there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep her safe. The thought of getting rid of her is not an option.

[GentleLake]

Grace is what, 3 months old? You'd better get used to it.

 

She's a baby and babies (human and canine) are lot of work and get into trouble. I'd be more worried about her if you said she wasn't naughty.

 

I've got one roughly the same age. Yes, it's challenging but if you didn't want puppy shenanigans you should've adopted an older dog. Any puppy of any breed would be a handful.

 

Step back, take a deep breath and collect your wits. And savor these moments because they're all too fleeting. She'll be grown up before you know it and you'll miss your puppy then.

[GentleLake]

Oh, and give the chihuahua a place she can get away from the puppy.

[urge to herd]

Crate train Gracie. Get her used to going into her crate for meals and for naps. Enforce nap time. Like GL says, make sure your Chi can get away from Gracie.

 

Do little bits of training throughout the day. Focus on preventing her doing what you don't want her to do, rather than trying to get her to stop the behavior after she's started.

 

In addition to the crate, you might consider a tie-down as well. Get a plastic covered steel cable, hooks on both ends, place an eye-bolt into the wall at a low level to hook the cable to. The cable is so she can't chew through it, the plastic coating is so she doesn't break her teeth. Train Grace to lay there quietly, (a small blanket or rug is okay as long as she doesn't chew it). Reward for calm behavior using a calm/soothing voice. This can be placed where she can see activity, but not in the middle of it all. Later on, you can use the tie-down for teaching not to jump on people.

 

This is an every day, long time process. There will be triumphs and "Oh no not again!' moments aplenty. If you need more input, take a puppy manners class. Sometimes seeing, (in person) that others have the same issues is re-assuring. And there's nothing like good hands-on help.

 

And yes, it takes time. Crate/tie down training will really relieve some of the pressure you're feeling. Good luck.

 

Ruth and Gibbs

[Gloria Atwater]

Okay, I'm over my head here! For the most part Grace is great! Quick to learn but destructive as hell. I try to walk her (weather permitting) I am trying to get her to not do all the things she shouldn't like, dig, bark, run from me, get into everything even after she is told not to over and over and over again. She is forever bullying my chihuahua, she has had enough and is now taking up for herself. Gracie is after all a BC, I knew what I was getting into when I purchased her, I didn't however know that it is never ending, doesn't calm down ever! What am I doing wrong because I know its me and not her. HELP!!! Grace is MY dog, and I love love love her, there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep her safe. The thought of getting rid of her is not an option.

 

 

Someone said she's 3 months old?

 

She's a puppy. You can't change that. What you can do is direct it. Buy a crate. Buy an x-pen. Do not let her bully the chihuahua. The little dog shouldn't have to defend herself.

 

Teach Grace down time in a crate. Teach her down time in an x-pen. An "off" switch is the most valuable thing a border collie can learn. Do NOT make yourself the center of her universe 24 hours a day. She needs time to herself while you do your thing - that's where an x-pen and crate come in handy. You say she's destructive? That's what puppies do. She's growing AND she's teething - and she's going to do that for several more months. You can't stop her mauling and attacking things - but you can give her the proper things to maul.

 

She has a shoe? Take it away and stuff a chew toy in her mouth. She has your sock? Take it away and stuff a chew toy in her mouth. She's gnawing the dining room chairs? Take her away from them and stuff a chew toy in her mouth. She's getting into things she shouldn't? Remove her access to those things. She's running away? Put her on a long line, and/or keep her in a fenced area where you can walk her down.

 

Are you seeing a pattern, there? You can't make her stop being a puppy. Don't even try. You have months more puppy-ness ahead of you - and then you have a teenager. But you can teach her the correct things to do, the correct things to chew, the correct behaviors and places to be.

 

Back to the running away thing, I think all puppies go through that - it's part of growing up. So, my advise is to practice catching her, giving her a treat - and then letting her go. Keep a little ziploc baggie with cheese bites or hot dog bits or whatever she loves best in your pocket whenever you can. Do not make her think that being captured means the fun is over. Make coming to you and being caught a GOOD thing. Do it over and over and over. And whatever you do, don't call her name or ask her to come until you are sure you've got her. Don't teach her that "Grace, come" really means, "Grace, run like hell the other way because I can't catch you."

 

Are you doing puppy obedience lessons yet? If not, start now. Don't drill, don't do it for minutes at a time. Just make it something you do a bazillion times a day. Call her, treat and pet her, let her go. Call her, show her how to sit, have her do it once or maybe twice, then let her go. Make her training just an incidental part of her day, not long drilling sessions.

 

And most of all, remember that a puppy's attention span at this age is about 10 seconds long. Work on the crate and x-pen training, give her time in the fenced yard if you have one, and most of all, manage and be patient with her. in that respect, she's not a whole lot different from a toddler child.

 

Best of luck!

 

~ Gloria

 

 

[Roxadee]

I like the tie down method, nice, great idea!!! I knew Grace would be a handful, I was prepared for the most part but I admit I forgot about the time consuming part of it, I am happy I have Grace, I needed some advise which is why I turn to the professionals, you all! I know in time she will be all the dog I want and more. Being a puppy is all teeth and nose, I forgot how to deal with it if that makes any sense, The ideas like letting Bella have her own space is gold. I have my bedroom for her and don't let Grace go in there, Grace is crate trained she goes in there to eat and sleep and when we are places we can't take her. Grace's crate is in my laundry room where it is puppy proofed, she can't get to the plug in's she can't get behind them with the wood beams I have placed in just the right places. When we are sleeping at night her crate door is open she goes in and sleeps, when we leave she is in the crate. Grace in the house is a constant NO NO NO, if she is quiet she is up to no good. I need your help and I am happy I am reaching out. You people are the best and I know that your ideas are without a doubt the best for her. Thank you.

[Roxadee]

 

 

Someone said she's 3 months old?

 

She's a puppy. You can't change that. What you can do is direct it. Buy a crate. Buy an x-pen. Do not let her bully the chihuahua. The little dog shouldn't have to defend herself.

 

Teach Grace down time in a crate. Teach her down time in an x-pen. An "off" switch is the most valuable thing a border collie can learn. Do NOT make yourself the center of her universe 24 hours a day. She needs time to herself while you do your thing - that's where an x-pen and crate come in handy. You say she's destructive? That's what puppies do. She's growing AND she's teething - and she's going to do that for several more months. You can't stop her mauling and attacking things - but you can give her the proper things to maul.

 

She has a shoe? Take it away and stuff a chew toy in her mouth. She has your sock? Take it away and stuff a chew toy in her mouth. She's gnawing the dining room chairs? Take her away from them and stuff a chew toy in her mouth. She's getting into things she shouldn't? Remove her access to those things. She's running away? Put her on a long line, and/or keep her in a fenced area where you can walk her down.

 

Are you seeing a pattern, there? You can't make her stop being a puppy. Don't even try. You have months more puppy-ness ahead of you - and then you have a teenager. But you can teach her the correct things to do, the correct things to chew, the correct behaviors and places to be.

 

Back to the running away thing, I think all puppies go through that - it's part of growing up. So, my advise is to practice catching her, giving her a treat - and then letting her go. Keep a little ziploc baggie with cheese bites or hot dog bits or whatever she loves best in your pocket whenever you can. Do not make her think that being captured means the fun is over. Make coming to you and being caught a GOOD thing. Do it over and over and over. And whatever you do, don't call her name or ask her to come until you are sure you've got her. Don't teach her that "Grace, come" really means, "Grace, run like hell the other way because I can't catch you."

 

Are you doing puppy obedience lessons yet? If not, start now. Don't drill, don't do it for minutes at a time. Just make it something you do a bazillion times a day. Call her, treat and pet her, let her go. Call her, show her how to sit, have her do it once or maybe twice, then let her go. Make her training just an incidental part of her day, not long drilling sessions.

 

And most of all, remember that a puppy's attention span at this age is about 10 seconds long. Work on the crate and x-pen training, give her time in the fenced yard if you have one, and most of all, manage and be patient with her. in that respect, she's not a whole lot different from a toddler child.

 

Best of luck!

 

~ Gloria

I took your advise and when Grace went outside to pee ( she stays in the yard, for now!!) I called to have her come back in and like clockwork, she ran for the hills, lol. I came back inside got one of her toys that squeak and she came back like she was in a race for first. Meanwhile while writing this she then got under one of my tables where a plant is located and a basket and started chewing on one or the other, really??? Lord help me. If they could bottle that energy I could make a fortune.

 

[diane allen]

3 months? Oh what fun!

 

Good advice given - heed it.

 

And you might look into some professional training - in person. As good as all these board folks are, "in person" is oh so much better - if it's a good person. (Don't know where you are, so hard to advise....)

 

And for the record: I always say I don't think my dogs know what "no!" means. They know lots of behaviors and one of them might come out of my mouth instead of "no." Chewing on something? "Here, dog!" and give her something else to chew. Barking? "Here, dog!" and let's play sit/down/stand. Of course, this all means you have that pocket full of yummy treats, AND the recall actually works.

 

I highly recommend the DVD named "Really Reliable Recall" I think still available from Clean Run (cleanrun.com). It DOES take time - and practice. My oldest dog is now 10 - and we STILL "practice" it. Actually, I'm just reinforcing what I think he knows. But they can ignore this in the teenage years (yours isn't there yet) and in older age (maybe mine isn't there yet either!).

 

I hope this doesn't sound rude. I had a dog once who definitely thought "come!" meant, run away as fast as you can. I spent a LOT of time training my recalls now - probably more than I needed to. But it has saved all our butts more times than I can count. Time spent now will reap many years of rewards, for both of you.

 

diane

[chene]

Great advice. I really agree with getting help wherever you can find it. Puppy classes are a great resource, it's so nice to have a teacher who can actually see your puppy and suggest things based off of the dog in front of her.

 

I also always like to suggest "After You Get Your Puppy" for beginner trainers with pups. Firstly, it's available free online, and secondly, it does a great job of breaking things down and making them seem manageable, and thirdly, has some invaluable advice about crate training and potty training. (The only thing I would say is not to take the book's "deadlines" too seriously. A dog isn't going to magically turn into a biting machine if you haven't stopped him mouthing by 5 months, or whatever).

Here you go: http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf

And of course Control Unleashed is a really really good resource too for making things manageable and keeping you sane.

[rushdoggie]

I'm sorry. Puppies are a pain in the rear. Then they grow up.

 

Here's a perspective:

 

http://denisefenzipetdogs.com/2015/08/30/its-a-puppy-not-a-problem/

[Maralynn]

Really love that Fenzi article. It's the first thing that I thought of when I read the op.

 

When Kolt was a baby, he was out and about doing things with me for an hour or two then crated for a nap for about an equal amount of time. He played, we did a minute of training here and there, he explored (and I kept two steps ahead of him) and then I'd crate him for a nap. The first few times he whined like crazy so I covered the crate and that did the trick. He'd be out like a light within two minutes of being put in the crate.

 

I came to take anyway crazy behavior as a sign that he needed a nap. Like a toddler, they get cranky and crazy when tired. And they get tired a lot. And aren't going to choose a nap on their own. Kolt didn't settle in and sleep during the day on his own until he was 7-8 m/o. Before then, he had mandatory nap time

 

When he was loose, he had at least 90% of my attention so I could proactively prevent issues/teach him what I expected. I did my stuff during crate time.

[teresaserrano]

Bc puppies

 

I've found Tess, my first bc, to be diferent from every other pup I've owned. She was more intense. More curious, more energetic, mouthier, quicker, smarter, more into... everything. She was a handfull. But it was those same characterisitcs that make her the most awsome dog I've ever had. So breathe deeply and just hang in there. If you keep working with her, she's turn into a great dog. Remember, they do grow up. As long as you guide her as she grows, there is light at the end of the tunnel

[Roxadee]

I've learned through you all that I'm doing the right stuff, I have not crated her enough however. I let her run around the house feeling as though she might think I'm putting her up because she is being punished. I have since last night until now put her in her crate after a couple of hours of romping. Grace is a fabulous dog, she brings a lot of joy to myself and my husband. Like you "Teresaerrano Grace is like no other dog I have ever owned and I just know she will morph into something spectacular. I can't thank you all enough for all of your comments I count on your knowledge more than you all will ever know.

[Roxadee]

I'm sorry. Puppies are a pain in the rear. Then they grow up.

 

Here's a perspective:

 

http://denisefenzipetdogs.com/2015/08/30/its-a-puppy-not-a-problem/

I love this, thank you!

[GentleLake]

http://denisefenzipetdogs.com/2015/08/30/its-a-puppy-not-a-problem/

 

This article should be mandatory reading for everyone who gets a puppy! Should be included with the puppy when it goes home.

[Roxadee]

This article should be mandatory reading for everyone who gets a puppy! Should be included with the puppy when it goes home.

Agreed, thank you for sharing it with me. I needed some reminding.

[TxMom]

I re-read that Denise Fenzi article frequently. It's good perspective, especially for someone with both young kids AND a puppy (and negligible prior puppy experience). Both are currently a lot of hard work, but my mantra is "it'll pay off, it'll pay off, it'll pay off."

[LauraV]

Your puppy is acting like a normal BC puppy. They are like toddlers. They get into things and have selective hearing. Setting rules and boundaries that work for both you AND Grace will help. Keep her intrigued and make yourself seem more interesting than her distractions.

[Roxadee]

Today has been so much better, every couple of hours I take Grace to the laundry room where she calms down and takes a little nap, I try to calm her down before she enters just so she knows that she isn't going in there because she did something wrong. It may not be exactly every couple of hours but she is calmer today than she has been since I got her. I just didn't know how to make her calm down correctly. I can't thank you all enough. I have a lot of great advise from you all and I can tell you that I will implement them. What a difference today has been. It's been like night and day. WOW!!

[Maralynn]

I love reading updates like this

[Roxadee]

I love reading updates like this

Thank you for taking the time to help me out. It has changed our relationship.

[Roxadee]

Here she is on one of our walks, sorry its sideways.

[Roxadee]

Just being pretty.

[gcv-border]

Very cute. Who could believe that such a wee thing could be such a dynamo - in a good way!

[RemsMom]

You have a really adorable puppy.

 

Until Natasha was around 10 months I used to put her down for naps just like I did when my children were little. I would make sure she had some fun activity, give her a couple of dog treats and water, take her to go potty, and then put her in her crate to nap. My son was away at university at the time so the crate was in his room. There was no reason for me to go there so Natasha could nap undisturbed for a couple of hours.

 

If I didn't put her down for naps she wouldn't rest. Any movement from someone in the house would cause her to jump up to see what we were doing and without rest she became a little monster, half dragon, half shark. Thankfully, she outgrew this and now I have a dog that will happily nap and ignore what we humans are doing.

 

I also used a stuffed Kong frequently at the age. I would fill the Kong with a mixture of plain yogurt, pumpkin, and a bit of peanut butter and freeze it. It kept her busy when I needed a few minutes of peace.