New Pup, Some Strange Behavior?

[Two Labs & Mia]

Mia is nearing her 17 week mark. I gave her her very 1st "squeakie" toy today. She ran around squeaking it, and whining. (?) Ideas? She used to whine when the phone rang, but is finally used to that. Doesn't like high pitched noises, ...or? What is the world is she thinking, and if she doesn't like the sound, why the heck does she keep squeaking it?

 

When a family member returns home, she barks at them. Seriously barks right at them, like a short, sharp, scolding bark for a few minutes. Every time. (?)

 

Has begun to run away from humans that have taken her to the back yard to potty, (fenced in yard). "Come" was one of her 1st commands she mastered, she used to love to do it. Got a small treat each time for successful potty outside/good come. Would run inside an sit under her treat jar on the counter super proud of herself. Outside now just looks at me all ornery, grabs the nearest "no no", (stick, rock, dirt claud), and RUNS away. (?) Is this a test? A phase? Should I put a leash on her? Have a few times, it seems kind of stupid to leash a dog in a 6' fenced yard, but also seems stupid to beg her to come, and I'm sure not going to chase her around.

 

She's getting rougher playing with the grown labs. Biting harder than she used too. Establishing a pecking order? Could her adult teeth be coming in and bothering her?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[CMP]

That all sounds pretty normal to me :/

 

I think all my dogs went through that phase around that time. The look you in the eye and committ an act of willful disobedience.

 

They're testing the line - seeing how far it bends. You get to decide.

 

When they go through it, it's a bittersweet end to the halcyon days of puppy-ness - your "dog" is emerging.

 

Everyone handles it differently but I go into a sort of lockdown mode. No second chances on commands. If she does not come - then a leash is in order so you do not have to ask twice. They're just checking to see if you;re really in charge and you have to "pass the test".

 

I learned to laugh instead of get mad because it can certainly make you mad.

 

Good luck!

[Cass C]

I've noticed that they all tend to go through testing phases. For example Lily went through a phase of not wanting to potty when I let her out she would just bolt around the yard, then go lay in the middle of the yard and just stare at me daring me to go get her. I found that the best fix was to just leave her outside and ignore the behavior. Once she realized that her behavior got her nowhere she stopped.

 

The barking is another demon entirely and each person has a different way of dealing with it. As tempting as it is do not yell. It makes the dog think you are barking with them. For some dogs you have to pull the dog away from the situation only returning when they are quiet. Other dogs can be trained 'quiet' by saying it then rewarding as soon as the dog is quiet.

 

Mostly this just sounds like normal puppy behavior.

[Camden's Mom]

I agree that this is pretty normal puppy/adolescent behavior. Also, as others have said, everyone might deal with it in a different way so I'll just share with you what I would do if I were in your position.

 

Ignoring you and running away outside - I'd attach a very long, lightweight drag line to her collar when you take her outside. This way she'll still have quite a bit of freedom compared to a leash but you have a way to maintain some control over her. Please keep in mind she is still pretty young so do try to keep things positive. When you are ready to go inside pick up the end of the long line and call her to you. If she comes on her own throw a party (good girl!!!) and if she resists you can reel her in using the line. I'd say if at any point she comes to you on her own (even if you had to help her get started using the line) you should still make it a super positive experience. Maybe as a game you can recall her a few times in the backyard then release her to go play some more before going back inside. Try to switch it up, keep it fun, keep it positive and most importantly (this is where the line is a great tool) don't let her fail!

 

Barking at family members entering the house - The first thing I'd do is instruct all family members to *completely* ignore her if she's acting like that. I wouldn't even give her eye contact. She needs to understand that if she behaves this way she'll get no attention from anyone. I'd ask everyone to give her the cold shoulder until she stops barking but the instant she's stopped they can shower her with as much attention as they like. If the behavior didn't improve I'd start to have her on leash whenever someone comes in the house and begin to work on rewarding (and insisting on) calm behavior at the door.

 

I am a one dog household so I can't really offer any good advice on the rough playing. I think most puppies go through this stage though and if your dogs don't correct her then it's definitely your job to let her know she's playing too rough. I'm sure others will have much more useful and specific advice on this!

 

Good luck and remember this stage doesn't last forever. I actually like the adolescent stage a lot because you get to see the independent spirit of the animal emerge. As long as you clearly show her what is expected and the appropriate ways to behave in different situations (and what she can and can not get away with, lol) you should be fine.

[Two Labs & Mia]

Thank you guys for the input. I've mostly had retrieving breeds, they really seem to like to come back to you, even when really young. I vaguely remember the yellow lab Madison doing this outdoors when she was a pup, ...but geez, that was 11 years ago! Black lab Sera, now nearing 5 always came back when called in the yard, as did her teacher Chocolate lab Marysa, who passed this February. She was almost 13, sooo, guess I have forgotten some things, plus am used to a different set of "breed traits". The long tether in the yard had crossed my mind, I may do that. Guess I just prefer they mind me straight up without "devices", the reason it seems silly to leash her or repeat myself. I know repeating commands is a mistake, they know what you said, even if it was 30 seconds ago. I just stay still after the command and give strong unbroken eye contact when they look to see what I'm doing, most will give in. Maybe it is just that she's still youngish.

 

I've never had my own dog bark at me. (?) I don't understand what she's "saying" when she barks at me when I come inside, she does the same thing when DH comes in. I don't mean the "announce barking" that all dogs do when a car pulls in. With the others, once the person comes in and they see it's one of "their" people, they stop barking and switch to tail wagging, trying to hand you a ball, slip in a quick kiss, etc. This is the point that Mia backs up, and barks right at the person. It's almost as though she is scolding them? For being gone? It's not the "someone is here" bark, or the "oh I'm so glad you are home" bark, it's almost like a "stop doing that" kind of bark, or as though you have done something she didn't like. My old neighbor had a wiener dog that did that, barked at her and the kids, just like he would if they were strangers who had just come in. She never understood that either, she only had German Shepherd experience but kinda got stuck with the wiener dog, he had a sketchy past, so she let a lot slide. It wasn't an aggressive type of barking, but more like if a kid took his favorite toy and was teasing them with it kind of bark. That's the same bark Mia does at us when we come inside after an absence. I don't understand, so I don't know if I should correct, comfort, or ignore. I usually just pick her up and give her a couple kisses then put her down, sometimes that's that, but sometimes she continues to bark, then whines a bit longer after she's back on the ground. Seems really shook about something, ...I just don't understand what. At first it was if someone even went outdoors to tend the pool or lawn just for a small spell. That has stopped, but if we leave the property and then come back in, it's still a problem. Could this be a form of "separation anxiety"? Wonder how to address it?

 

I wondered too about the high pitched sound issue, had heard a little about BC's having sound sensitivities? Are they frightened, or just annoyed by it, like some dogs who howl with sirens? Comfort, correct, or ignore? I don't want her scared of things if I can help her work out of it, especially while she's young.

 

Doing a DNA test next week, so will get to find out for sure how much BC she is, and what else if anything is in the mix! That will be interesting.

 

Thanks all.

[Maralynn]

She could just be over stimulated when you come in and therefore barking. Try redirecting her to do something - sit, down, etc, so she knows what is expected in those situations.

[GentleLake]

It's possible the barking when you come home is demand barking. If so, she wants something from you.

 

Is there something you used to do when you came in that you don't do now? It could be something as simple as paying attention to her.

 

Whatever it is, it's never a good idea to give in to demand barking. I'd totally ignore her when she does it. If she gains nothing from it other than the complete removal of your attention, it should extinguish. You might also try very obviously (even dramatically) lavishing your attention elsewhere. My trainer had me make a big fuss over an invisible dog when Tansy was demand barking for a treat. Not sure if it helped, and it felt awfully silly, but ignoring her definitely worked. She doesn't bark at me for treats any more; she knows she'll just get the cold shoulder -- and no treats -- when she does.

[RemsMom]

My pup was really good at going back in the house until a few weeks ago when she decided it was more fun to play keep-away. She especially likes the keep-away game at night when I just want to go to bed so I started using a leash on her when I have a limit on the amount of time we can be outside.

 

I have never had a puppy that would do demand barking until I got my BC. When she does this I will just stand quietly and wait. When she sees barking is not getting her what she wants she will quiet down and will stand or sit with her tail wagging and I will give her tons of attention and praise. It seems to be working because she is quieting down sooner each time.

 

We are still working on demand barking for the bratty cat. I have one cat that loves to sit just outside of the pup's reach and antagonize her. I am working at getting the puppy to move her attention from the cat to me but sometimes I just move the bratty cat!

[CMP]

Sounds like she is yelling at you for leaving her.

 

I would do as suggested: ignore her like she is invisible until the first instant of calm and quiet and then I'd throw her a "best dog in the universe" party.

 

Puppies can make you feel a little you suffer some sort of schizoid disorder - you have to do a lot of quick switching between displeasure, indifference, happiness and bossy-ness. And it all has to be sincere - a BC can smell BS a mile away.

 

Convincing Molly to walk beside me without herding me (leaning, nipping, circling, lunging and leaping) was a seemingly endless stream of "no,no, GOOD GIRL, no!, goooo... NO! ...GOOD gooooooood gooo....NO! NO! NO! NO! " punctuated by a million full stops and stand stills and even a few sit downs.

 

WHen Molly demand barks (usually when I am preparing food and, lately, eating) I just tell her to stop being such a jerk-face and then act like she's too idiotic to be my friend and ignore her like she has cooties.

 

That just makes her prance around with her ears all pricked up, trying to be cute. Usually makes her forget to bark. I often give her a few good natured "yeah yeah"s and make her work for the "atta girl".

 

Good luck.

[gcv-border]

DNA tests are 'better' than they used to be (i.e. a bit more accurate), but I wouldn't trust the results 100%. I have heard about waayyy too many inaccurate findings - for example, someone may KNOW that a certain breed is in the background, but the DNA test doesn't indicate that breed at all.

[sandysfarm]

I tested my black and white collie, aged 4, after she came to me just out of curiosity. The paperwork asked for a pic of the dog as well as my guess as to what the majority of the "mix" was. I declined to include the pic and didn't offer anything on the other question; why would I, when they are the DNA experts?

It came back 70% JRT, and 30% made up of other things invluding huskie and spaniel. When I called to chat about the results, they apologized and offered me a retake freebie. I declined.

[Two Labs & Mia]

Hi all, I've done as several have suggested and ignored the bid for attention straight in the door and you are right, it's working. I used to pick her up and cuddle her right out of the kennel the second that I got indoors. After you suggested I may be doing something different GentleLake, I thought about it, ha-you're right! Thanks. As she'd gotten heavier I stopped doing that. I had never heard of demand barking! Sis had a German Shepherd though, and she used to "sass" a snotty little "yap" when she didn't get her way. (I always got grounded when I tried that.) ;-)

 

I wondered about the DNA test. They didn't ask for any background info or photo, this kit was specifically for "mixed breeds" with unknown ancestry. They did ask for general idea of age and weight though. (?) Actual test will be run by Mars Veterinary out of Lincoln, NE. I just sent the sample in and will be curious to see what they come up with, supposed to be a 3 week wait, will post when I know.

 

I did pick up a lightweight little line for her today, ...kind of hate to use it, would rather she just respected me enough to come when called. But she's a pup, I suppose it's a bratty phase like the yellow lab Madison went through for a couple of months. My Mother laughed her head off at me today when I told her she is doing that, then asked, "let me guess, when you catch up to her she gives you kisses and wags the tail real fast, hugh?". (How'd she know that?) Guess she's had a few more than me, ...definitely more different types than I have had, although I've fostered a lot, but you don't have them long enough to get the true picture with fosters sometimes, or don't catch all the phases.

 

Thanks guys for all your input. The kid is really sweet, am glad to have her.

[GentleLake]

I did pick up a lightweight little line for her today, ...kind of hate to use it, would rather she just respected me enough to come when called.

 

I'm not sure that respect in that sense is attributable to dogs.

 

We have to teach them what we want them to do. They get the idea of a recall pretty quickly, but then there's that first time they're distracted and they don't do it. What do we do in that situation?

 

Too often we're willing to let that cute puppy get away with it a time or two, and before you know it, you've got a pup who isn't coming all the time. Why? Because you taught it that you don't really mean it all the time; that if there's something more interesting, they can go ahead and ignore you. That's not lack of respect; it's learning how they can manipulate their environment. They're opportunists after all, and if the opportunity's there and there's nothing to dissuade them from taking it, well, you get the picture. There's a reason people say never to let a border collie get away with something the first time.

 

So, now there's a very good chance you've poisoned the cue, meaning that whatever word you used for a recall no longer means to the dog what you'd intended it to mean. It probably means "come if you feel like it" or "let's have a fun game of chase!". Start over with the dog on a line -- don't feel guilty about it or that the pup isn't respecting you; it's just a practical tool -- pick a new cue (some people use "here"), and start over. Don't use the recall word if you can't enforce it. Find some other way to cajole her to you then, and only use your new cue when you can make sure you can get her to come. But whenever possible keep the line on her or don't let her loose anywhere where she can outrun you.

 

Best wishes figuring this out. You have to be smarter than a border collie to train them.