My very naughty BC puppy/separation anxiety

[KatieP]

Hi! I haven't posted in awhile because I've been very busy with my 14 week old BC pup, Addie and my grandchildren. I know the breed well and expected much of this behavior. What I didn't expect was to suddenly be minding my little grandchildren when their babysitter quit. Addie is just like having another toddler, she takes the babies toys, wants everything they have, making them scream, takes their cookies, knocks them down, etc.. she is very hyper. Of course I do try and correct these behaviors by keeping her on a leash with me, but I can't do that every second. I also did get her to stop biting them. But knocking them down and licking their faces to pieces isn't fun for them either. I've never crated her and now she has awful separation anxiety. If I try and leave her in my room or outside in the fenced yard, she screams and howls so loud and for so long you would think someone were killing her. (I hate to disturb my neighbors like this also) I also do not want her to get jealous of the kids and think she is being punished because they are here. She is just a baby herself but I'm going out of my mind. She is a smart puppy, she knows sit, shake hands, and is leash trained. But she is just a bundle of unbridled energy. She also growled at the baby when he went near her dog treat. Which I did correct right away and she was put in a "time out" Any suggestions would be so much appreciated.

[gcv-border]

I understand that you are beyond busy, but she really needs to be crate-trained. Others here will have good suggestions and can direct you to links that provide crate-training advice. There are also internet resources that provide advice on dealing with separation anxiety. Again, BC board members are a wealth of information for this too.

 

Sorry not to be of more help, but gotta run.

 

Good Luck.

Jovi

[RoseAmy]

The advice you received on potty training your pup in the other thread would of prevented the problems you are having now.

 

Pupppys need to be crate trained and taught to be alone and chill out. You have raised her to be hyper and demanding. Why would she want to be alone when so far she's been leashed to you? And had the run of the house.

 

Yes she is a puppy and she needs to be taught.. But just like human babies sometimes you have to just remove them from situtations that are too much for them.

 

At this point it is going to much harder to crate train her..

[KatieP]

The advice you received on potty training your pup in the other thread would of prevented the problems you are having now.

 

Pupppys need to be crate trained and taught to be alone and chill out. You have raised her to be hyper and demanding. Why would she want to be alone when so far she's been leashed to you? And had the run of the house.

 

Yes she is a puppy and she needs to be taught.. But just like human babies sometimes you have to just remove them from situtations that are too much for them.

 

At this point it is going to much harder to crate train her..

 

Not everyone believes in crate training. UP until last week, I really had no reason to keep her locked up. I have taught her to go pee pee outside and now we are just working on the other. She is a member of our family and so she does have the run of the house. I have not raised her to be hyper and demanding. I love her and there was no reason that she couldn't be with me during the day as I am home and have been training her. When she is home with me she is fine. It's just when people come in and the kids are around that she gets so excited and jumps up on people. I leash her to teach her "down". Each time she jumps up, I pull her back and say "down" and she is getting it. I don't see how keeping her locked up, lonely and miserable in a crate is going to teach her anything. I saw crate training backfire with our German Shorthaired years ago and my X husband insisted on keeping him crated. He had the worst separation anxiety that I've ever encountered in a dog after that. He had nervous uriniation, he was excited to be out of the crate that he really acted up badly. I appreciate the advice that I receive on this list, I honestly do. But I've also experienced very condescending attitudes also. Advice is one thing but criticism isn't necessary. I've managed to raise my other border collie just fine and she turned into a wonderful dog who was the best dog with children that I've ever known. She was never crated.

[Bullet87]

It sounds like your puppy needs some place to escape from all the "interesting" things happening when your grandkids are over. She is on overload. There are new toys everywhere, these little creatures that are her height hanging out on the floor, easily accessible food... She needs her own place to hang out by herself to reorganize her busy, overloaded brain.

 

What if you teach your puppy that she has a place to go to when people come over? For example, and you may need extra help with this... Place a rug, towel, or whatever on the floor, something that signifies where she is supposed to go. Don't just pick a spot on your existing tile or rug, this can confuse them. (Does your pup know stay yet? I would really recommend this if she has yet to learn a solid stay)

 

Do you clicker train? This should be super easy if you do.

 

Start by first training her that the mat is something special. Click for any paw on the mat and treat. Gradually work up to getting all paws on the mat and clicking. Continue working after that with staying longer on the mat before giving a treat. Eventually you can work up to adding the command go to your spot or something like that, that signals your pup is supposed to go hang out on the mat until you release her. Finally after you have a reliable stay on that mat have someone come over and ring the doorbell or knock. Make sure your helped knows they may be standing outside for awhile as you may need to place her on the mat multiple times before the person comes in.

 

Eventually she will stay on her mat until released, but she may still great people with too much excitement. In my case, I immediately sent them back to their mat to calm down and try again.

 

You could also train this with a crate. I have one in the living room, door always hooked open, but during meals and when guests come over my BC knows "kennel" and he will just go hang out until released. It's also his safe place. If he needs a break from anything, he will go curl up in there for a nap. I know you mentioned you don't want to crate train, but this could just be her safe place that she can go into by herself when the kids get too much for her.

 

This video has similar ways of training go to your mat.

 

[beachdogz]

Not everyone believes in crate training. UP until last week, I really had no reason to keep her locked up. I have taught her to go pee pee outside and now we are just working on the other. She is a member of our family and so she does have the run of the house. I have not raised her to be hyper and demanding. I love her and there was no reason that she couldn't be with me during the day as I am home and have been training her. When she is home with me she is fine. It's just when people come in and the kids are around that she gets so excited and jumps up on people. I leash her to teach her "down". Each time she jumps up, I pull her back and say "down" and she is getting it. I don't see how keeping her locked up, lonely and miserable in a crate is going to teach her anything. I saw crate training backfire with our German Shorthaired years ago and my X husband insisted on keeping him crated. He had the worst separation anxiety that I've ever encountered in a dog after that. He had nervous uriniation, he was excited to be out of the crate that he really acted up badly. I appreciate the advice that I receive on this list, I honestly do. But I've also experienced very condescending attitudes also. Advice is one thing but criticism isn't necessary. I've managed to raise my other border collie just fine and she turned into a wonderful dog who was the best dog with children that I've ever known. She was never crated.

 

I sense some defensiveness here. I never understand this. You asked for help with a problem and seem to want to argue about the answers. I have posted on this forum many times with problems I have had. Some of the answers I agreed with and some I did not agree with. But I got a variety of different views (which I appreciated). I picked the ones I thought would work...I did not try the ones I did not like. BUT I did not argue with anyone. I appreciated ALL the input.

 

I have found that many of the people on this board have a lot of experience...with multiple dogs (not just one or two) and with years upon years of raising and living with BCs. I also have a lot of experience in dogs (over 35 years) and still I can learn from others.

 

It is very frustrating when people on the boards take time out of their busy schedules to answer problems that were solicited from them...only to get an argument back. This happens all the time to dog trainers...someone asks their advice only to then argue and criticize it. Why ask then???

 

I hope this thread does not turn into another long thread where everyone just keeps posting nasty arguments. You asked a question...you got answers. You can heed the advice or ignore it.

[rushdoggie]

I don't see how keeping her locked up, lonely and miserable in a crate is going to teach her anything.

 

It will in fact teach her a lot, and she won't be lonely and miserable if you do it right. All of my dogs are relaxed in their crates, will go in willingly to have a nap and when I say "kennel up." My dogs eat in crates (because I have dogs of various sizes and it helps me keep them safe, and my puppy who gets very overaroused when someone comes close to the house gets crated when he is home alone so he doesn't destroy stuff. When I get home he wakes up from the nap he has been having, yawning and stretching to greet me.

 

How to prevent a dog from having separation anxiety is to condition him to be separated from you in a way that minimizes stress and gradually extending that time. This is why confining the puppy in a crate, or behind a gate, or in an ex pen works. The puppy really isn't alone, but he is separated and will work through that stress (and probably have a tantrum to start with) but will learn that in fact no harm comes to him and he will learn that sometimes he will not be the center of attention.

 

They key for this do not be a bad experience is that the puppy gets exercise and attention regularly and so when he gets crated he will actually be a little tired, then the "settle down in your crate/whatever" time becomes part of a welcome routine.

 

Its because she has not been taught that being alone isn't a bad thing that she screams and howls when you put her in another room. And, unfortunately, because you end up releasing her because shes screaming (understandably, because she will disturb the neighbors) she is learning that screaming gets her what she wants (which is back in with you). The only way to fix this is to live through the screaming, offer her a chewie or some other distraction, and not let her loose until she is calm. Confining her close by in a crate or in another room with a gate where she can see and hear you will help, but it will be tough.

 

At her age, "correcting her" for jumping on the baby will likely have minimal effect. Shes too excitable and overstimulated for that to really work. In addition, this could become a bad situation with the grandkids getting hurt and then being afraid of dogs or worse.

 

I understand you are frustrated, and overwhelmed with an unexpected job of baby sitting little kids added to the puppy duties on your plate, and I understand that you have an aversion to crates from a bad past experience, but it really is the answer to your issues. Learning to accept confinement for brief periods of time is something all pets should learn. Not only does it make them easier to live with, but someday she could need to be caged in an emergency at a vet or a shelter, or recover in a crate from an injury, and having those skills can be a lifesaver.

 

Trust me, your dog will be more miserable being punished for her actions at an age with poor self control, or being rehomed because shes so out of control or can't be trusted around the kids.

 

As she matures, and improves with training, she will need the crate less and less until its only for an emergency.

[KatieP]

It sounds like your puppy needs some place to escape from all the "interesting" things happening when your grandkids are over. She is on overload. There are new toys everywhere, these little creatures that are her height hanging out on the floor, easily accessible food... She needs her own place to hang out by herself to reorganize her busy, overloaded brain.

 

What if you teach your puppy that she has a place to go to when people come over? For example, and you may need extra help with this... Place a rug, towel, or whatever on the floor, something that signifies where she is supposed to go. Don't just pick a spot on your existing tile or rug, this can confuse them. (Does your pup know stay yet? I would really recommend this if she has yet to learn a solid stay)

 

Do you clicker train? This should be super easy if you do.

 

Start by first training her that the mat is something special. Click for any paw on the mat and treat. Gradually work up to getting all paws on the mat and clicking. Continue working after that with staying longer on the mat before giving a treat. Eventually you can work up to adding the command go to your spot or something like that, that signals your pup is supposed to go hang out on the mat until you release her. Finally after you have a reliable stay on that mat have someone come over and ring the doorbell or knock. Make sure your helped knows they may be standing outside for awhile as you may need to place her on the mat multiple times before the person comes in.

 

Eventually she will stay on her mat until released, but she may still great people with too much excitement. In my case, I immediately sent them back to their mat to calm down and try again.

 

You could also train this with a crate. I have one in the living room, door always hooked open, but during meals and when guests come over my BC knows "kennel" and he will just go hang out until released. It's also his safe place. If he needs a break from anything, he will go curl up in there for a nap. I know you mentioned you don't want to crate train, but this could just be her safe place that she can go into by herself when the kids get too much for her.

 

This video has similar ways of training go to your mat.

 

Thank you so much for your wonderful advice. I had been thinking about getting a clicker. I used one with my German Shorthair and it did work very well. I love the idea of her having her own place to go. I do have a crate and she has gone in it with the door always open. She use to like to sleep in it, (door open) but then started to sleep under our bed, where she stays like a good girl all night long. It only makes sense that she is on overload due to way too much stimulation with the babies, crying, toys, kids running. She passed out today in the kitchen and stayed there for a few hours. She's calming down. Yesterday it was raining and she refused to go out in the rain longer than to pee pee. So, she was very hyper yesterday but was able to get a good run and play in the yard today, it made a big difference. I will go get a clicker and her favortie treats tomorrow and start teaching her where her spot is. Thank you so much.. this is exactly the type of advice that I was looking for.

[KatieP]

I sense some defensiveness here. I never understand this. You asked for help with a problem and seem to want to argue about the answers. I have posted on this forum many times with problems I have had. Some of the answers I agreed with and some I did not agree with. But I got a variety of different views (which I appreciated). I picked the ones I thought would work...I did not try the ones I did not like. BUT I did not argue with anyone. I appreciated ALL the input.

 

I have found that many of the people on this board have a lot of experience...with multiple dogs (not just one or two) and with years upon years of raising and living with BCs. I also have a lot of experience in dogs (over 35 years) and still I can learn from others.

 

It is very frustrating when people on the boards take time out of their busy schedules to answer problems that were solicited from them...only to get an argument back. This happens all the time to dog trainers...someone asks their advice only to then argue and criticize it. Why ask then???

 

I hope this thread does not turn into another long thread where everyone just keeps posting nasty arguments. You asked a question...you got answers. You can heed the advice or ignore it.

In my opinion asking for advice and having someone criticize you are two completely different things. I did take offense to saying that I am raising my dog to be hyper and demanding. I don't think I gave that impression. And nobody knows me or my dog. I think crating an animal is a personal choice. I've seen it cause further anxiety in animals I have owned because they are pack animals and are anxious being away from their "pack". I was simply asking for advice on how to deal with the situation without having to crate her, which I did get. I am very thankful for the advice that I got and I am going to start clicker training her tomorrow and teaching her where her spot is. I do have a crate that she has used since she was a small puppy, door open always. She use to go in it herself to go to sleep but has since taken to sleeping under our bed, where she stays all night long with no problems. I want to develop trust in my dog and I do train her daily. I didn't mean to argue but I don't think attacking me by saying that my dog is hyper and demanding was very nice.

[bcnewe2]

edited because I sent my reply using my smart phone that turned out to be not so smart.

sorry.........

[KatieP]

It will in fact teach her a lot, and she won't be lonely and miserable if you do it right. All of my dogs are relaxed in their crates, will go in willingly to have a nap and when I say "kennel up." My dogs eat in crates (because I have dogs of various sizes and it helps me keep them safe, and my puppy who gets very overaroused when someone comes close to the house gets crated when he is home alone so he doesn't destroy stuff. When I get home he wakes up from the nap he has been having, yawning and stretching to greet me.

 

How to prevent a dog from having separation anxiety is to condition him to be separated from you in a way that minimizes stress and gradually extending that time. This is why confining the puppy in a crate, or behind a gate, or in an ex pen works. The puppy really isn't alone, but he is separated and will work through that stress (and probably have a tantrum to start with) but will learn that in fact no harm comes to him and he will learn that sometimes he will not be the center of attention.

 

They key for this do not be a bad experience is that the puppy gets exercise and attention regularly and so when he gets crated he will actually be a little tired, then the "settle down in your crate/whatever" time becomes part of a welcome routine.

 

Its because she has not been taught that being alone isn't a bad thing that she screams and howls when you put her in another room. And, unfortunately, because you end up releasing her because shes screaming (understandably, because she will disturb the neighbors) she is learning that screaming gets her what she wants (which is back in with you). The only way to fix this is to live through the screaming, offer her a chewie or some other distraction, and not let her loose until she is calm. Confining her close by in a crate or in another room with a gate where she can see and hear you will help, but it will be tough.

 

At her age, "correcting her" for jumping on the baby will likely have minimal effect. Shes too excitable and overstimulated for that to really work. In addition, this could become a bad situation with the grandkids getting hurt and then being afraid of dogs or worse.

 

I understand you are frustrated, and overwhelmed with an unexpected job of baby sitting little kids added to the puppy duties on your plate, and I understand that you have an aversion to crates from a bad past experience, but it really is the answer to your issues. Learning to accept confinement for brief periods of time is something all pets should learn. Not only does it make them easier to live with, but someday she could need to be caged in an emergency at a vet or a shelter, or recover in a crate from an injury, and having those skills can be a lifesaver.

 

Trust me, your dog will be more miserable being punished for her actions at an age with poor self control, or being rehomed because shes so out of control or can't be trusted around the kids.

 

As she matures, and improves with training, she will need the crate less and less until its only for an emergency.

thank you so much for such a kind and considerate post. It does make a lot of sense about the crate. She has her crate in my room with the door open. We have a huge multi-generational family all living in our big farm house. My 85 year old mom, who has moderate Alzheimer disease, my 26 year old (very pregnant) daughter and her husband and 6 year old son, and my youngest son 24 and his girlfriend as well as my husband and me. So that if I am not home, the puppy always had somebody to go to. But she doesn't. She comes up to "our" bedroom and waits very quietly for me when I am not at home. She doesn't get into any trouble, or chew or destroy anything. She's really good. When I am not home, she doesn't exhibit any separation anxiety. The problem is when I am home and try and keep her in the bedroom or out in the fenced in yard that she howls and screams because she is not with me and she knows I am here. She will watch me leave through the gate, get into the car, with no problems at all. Come back inside and go to her room. So, I guess I've spoiled her in away by always having her with me when I was at home, before I was babysitting the grandchildren (we are going on number 6 due any day and number 7 due in October). Of course, I just want my puppy to have the best puppyhood that she can have.. Just like children, it's crucial to the way they turn out as adults. I guess before I was babysitting, I just really did not feel the need to crate her. I took her outside all the time to go potty. I feel like a dummy sometimes in the morning out in my yard saying "Nice pee pee, go good pee pee" and then when she goes I say "good pee pee, good girl".. ha ha.. I saw my neighbor staring at me the other day as we were going through our ritual.. I guess it does seem strange but she goes when I say this. Now working on pooping but she does go on the papers in the house. So, maybe I did make a mistake by not crating her, I just didn't find it necessary.. but all your reasons make very much sense. thank you so much.

[gcv-border]

Everyone has a different lifestyle and will manage their dog in their own way, BUT I like to cover all my bases if possible because one never knows what life will throw at you. Therefore, I crate-trained my dog even though I am also home all the time. In addition to making it easier to potty-train and being a place to be calm, the fact that my dog was comfortable in a crate reduced his stress when he HAD to stay in a crate for extended periods of time after shoulder surgery. I never expected that my dog would have to stay in a crate after he had 'graduated' to free run of the house, but I was sure happy that he had that skill. As another example, I live out in the country, but I worked at bringing him into the city for exposure and walks even though I hope to never have to live in such a crowded environment. But if I do, the transition will be smoother because he experienced it as a puppy. Same with kids: my lifestyle does not include kids, but I put the extra effort into socializing my dog with kids, because again, ya never know.

 

Maybe I am being pessimistic, or maybe just thoughtfully long-sighted, but I prefer to have a well-rounded dog (or as well-rounded as I can) that can deal with many different situations. Thus I have tried to give him skills and experiences that are not necessarily needed for my current lifestyle.

 

Jovi

[DeltaBluez Tess]

MY dogs are all crate trained. Even Tess.

 

They go in on command and stay with no issues. Some have separation issues but they learn to deal with it. It's not a punishment but a place for them to go. I used to be against crate training when I got my first Border Collie. She had major separation issues and totally tore apart our bathroom. She was not crate trained. That night she was crate trained. She shreiked for a while, then realized she was not getting out. After that it was not an issue.

 

If I leave the house, Maid and Rainey get crated. Both will explore the desk tops, counter, tops of couches, you name it. Tess and Nan just hang out.

 

When we travel they get crated. Much safer.

 

Sometimes they come in soaking wet and muddy, they get crated.

 

Nan will run and crate herself during a thunderstorm...she considers it a safe place.

 

Crate training is very effective.

[D'Elle]

Everyone has a different lifestyle and will manage their dog in their own way, BUT I like to cover all my bases if possible because one never knows what life will throw at you. Therefore, I crate-trained my dog even though I am also home all the time. In addition to making it easier to potty-train and being a place to be calm, the fact that my dog was comfortable in a crate reduced his stress when he HAD to stay in a crate for extended periods of time after shoulder surgery. I never expected that my dog would have to stay in a crate after he had 'graduated' to free run of the house, but I was sure happy that he had that skill. As another example, I live out in the country, but I worked at bringing him into the city for exposure and walks even though I hope to never have to live in such a crowded environment. But if I do, the transition will be smoother because he experienced it as a puppy. Same with kids: my lifestyle does not include kids, but I put the extra effort into socializing my dog with kids, because again, ya never know.

 

Maybe I am being pessimistic, or maybe just thoughtfully long-sighted, but I prefer to have a well-rounded dog (or as well-rounded as I can) that can deal with many different situations. Thus I have tried to give him skills and experiences that are not necessarily needed for my current lifestyle.

 

Jovi

 

What he said.

 

This is really brought home to me in fostering rescue dogs. You don't think that your work is going to transfer you to Australia, or that you are going to have a stroke or die. So, you don't think you need to train your dog to be in a crate, or teach coping skills to your fearful dog, or any number of other things, because he or she is fine with you. But these things do happen. And when we get these dogs in rescue, we sure do wish for the dog's sake that someone had had the foresight to give the dog skills as Jovi says above.

 

I think the "go to your mat" is excellent advice. I also think that crate training is excellent advice, if for no other reason than that it is necessary in an emergency.

D'Elle

[DeltaBluez Tess]

We had a huge fire about 11 years ago that threatened our farm. We had the crates all loaded up for 11 dogs...no way we would have 11 dogs free in the truck and van. we also had our important papers and laptop loaded to go. Sheep were ready to run down the road. One of the dogs was a LGD.

 

That is when the husband realized how important crate training was. Once we would evacuated, we had no idea how long we would be gone or where we would land. we couldn't show at a friends house with all the dogs and expect them to run loose. The dogs were freaking out due the fire and having them freaking out loose in the rigs when we were driving was not an option. The livestock was also freaking.

 

As it was, the fire dept stopped the fire about 1/2 mile from the house.

[juliepoudrier]

I have a couple of dogs who won't eat unless they're in their crates with the door shut. I didn't teach them that--it's their choice, probably because they feel they don't have to worry about one of the other eight bothering them while they eat. (Although in my house, no dog is allowed in another dog's bowl unless that walks away from its bowl.)

 

The mat idea is a good one, but it requires a great deal of self-control on the part of the dog. As you noted, your puppy is a baby. You're also dealing with human babies. There will be times when you will want to separate one from the other for their safety and your sanity. You may find it a bit difficult at this stage to get the puppy to reliably stay on the mat. Even dogs that stay inside ivisible fences can be tempted to take the shock to cross the fence if something really catches their attention.

 

I understand that you had a bad experience with a crate. But instead of taking from that experience that crates are bad, you could instead look at it as a learning experience--what not to do with a crate. No dog should be crated most of the time (IMO), but there are times when it's handy. I have one dog who is very thunderphobic. If I am not here, the crate is probably the safest place for her. At least she's unlikely to go through a windoow and run away (running away is her standard reaction to storms) if she's crated.I have another dog that is epileptic. if she were loose in the house while I wasn't here and had a seizure it's entirely possible that pack dynamics would lead to the other dogs attacking her. So she's crated for her own safety when I am not around. As others have pointed out, crates can be necessary if your dog needs to recover from an injury or surgery, and crates are by far the safest way to transport a dog in your vehicle. Just because you have a crate doesn't mean you have to keep the dog in it a lot. But if your pup is overstimulated by the children it gives her a place to go chill, not to mention a place to get away from the kids.

 

I'm not saying not to train her to a mat or other specific place, but while you're at it, you'll need to teach the baby humans to *leave her alone* when she's on that spot. That may in fact be the more difficult task.

 

Good luck!

 

J.

[Laurelin]

I just wanted to put in 2 cents. Just because a crate wasn't needed for a past dog doesn't mean it isn't the best tool for this dog you have now. I have not used a crate at all with most my past dogs but my last papillon is going on 3 years old and still is not trustworthy left loose. As a puppy she was the busiest little thing I had ever seen just zipping around all over the place and destroying whatever she could. There was no way I could keep up 24/7 and she seemingly didn't sleep at all. I ended up buying a large crate for her to serve as a pen so I could breathe. Nowadays she is very good about sleeping during down time while I'm around to watch her but she still will go into shred mode if I leave. So she goes in an x-pen these days while I'm busy or at work. I give her lots of toys, there's room for her to move around, she loads up fast because I feed her there and a lot of times train her in her pen.

 

My point is, even though my past dogs did not need that level of management to behave some dogs definitely DO. It's not a breed thing in my experience, some dogs are just really difficult puppies. If you don't like a crate, get as big a crate as you can find to give more room. Or try an indoor kennel setup or a pen. Give the dog appropriate toys and chews while you have a chance to breathe and not have to watch the dog all the time.

 

As far as the crate and separation anxiety, been there done that since I used to not crate. My dog would go berserk in a crate and even my younger dog would scream in a class setting. Check out the crate games dvd, and I believe some of it is on youtube, it really helped us approach crates in a different manner than the 'wait them out' method I'd grown up with. I think treating the crate like a training game is a great way to build a positive connection for the crate to the dog.

[Star]

Not sure I have useful advice--just sharing thoughts. When Seven (my hound/gsp) was a puppy my oldest daughter was one. Seven jumped on her a few times and knocked her down. If you've ever seen a hounds claws--they are like bear claws! And when she jumped on Sadie, those claws were right on her face. I got pretty tough with her on that one point as a result. Very tough voice, strong reaction on my point and then I would teach her lay down (thinking, I want her to learn to lay down in the presence of small children). She quit jumping on Sadie. And she never again jumped up on a child (adults was another, much longer story!). And, seems I also taught her to lay down whenever a child cries, which she still does to this day, LOL.

I really think it would have been harder to teach Star (our bc) if the kids had been little. They helped me teach her not to jump by crossing their arms and turning their backs on her with a no, same for the nipping at the clothes, ankles. I expect your kids are too little to do this. Star, though very trainable, as a 14 week old puppy would get excited and her mind was clearly on overload. Much harder to get her attention. You might try working on a down without the kids, then work on getting it when the kids are there. I also like teaching "Mine". It's a quick easy way to communicate that something the dog is trying to get or has is not for her (like the kids cookies, or toys). I taught it to Seven and to Star. I think the key is to be able to then give them something that IS theirs. So, kids toy in mouth: "Ah, mine" and take it then immediately give her a dog toy, "This is Stars" or "This is good". Same with a cookie/dog treat. This was very effective for Star. When Seven was a pup it worked after a little time, but her desire to chew (EVERYTHING) was so much stronger.

 

As far as the pup crying when she can't get to you, she should learn to get over that. You'll have to grit your teeth and bear it until she settles down, and THEN let her in to you.

 

I've never done crates, either. I see everyone's point, but never even knew about the concept of crating until shortly after I got Star. Never saw a dog crated in my family or neighborhood. We've done just fine without it, but I can sure see the potential value.

[RoseAmy]

Glad you are thinking crating over. I don't mean to come across as harsh but the reasons for crate training are many and can as has been pointed out life saving..Not to mention sanity saving LOL

 

I don't recall if you said the ages of your grandkids..I taught puppy school for years and one thing I taught and always did with any kids that were in my household at the time was to play "Let's pretend we are puppys".

 

Tell the kids that they are going to pretend they are puppys..Load yourself with unitreats (something both kids and pup can eat, little bits of hotdogs work great) Then "teach" the "puppys" to sit/down/stay/ go on a walk/ go to their resting place etc. Line them up and one by one command them to sit..reward..go on to the next one. Of course pat heads and praise with good doggie.

 

The kids love this game..Best of all you are training dog and kids to respect and interact with each other in an orderly fashion.

 

Just beware..I once had my girlfriends 4 yr old have a melt down because when I went to drive her home she wanted to ride in the dogs crate!! Can you imagine what someone would thing with a kid in a crate. Yet all the kids always wanted to be crated while playing puppy.

[ChantalB]

Would you let a toddler have the run of the house? Only nap when they want where they want? That comes with time, age and maturity.

 

Crate=crib/playpen

[Shetlander]

She comes up to "our" bedroom and waits very quietly for me when I am not at home. She doesn't get into any trouble, or chew or destroy anything. She's really good. When I am not home, she doesn't exhibit any separation anxiety.

 

That is great! At 14 weeks, Quinn was an awful coyote of a puppy. I think the reason he caused the least damage of any of my puppies is he was so naughty and busy that I didn't dare take my horrified eyes off him when he was loose and I could intervene immediately.

 

However, I wanted to warn you that while your little girl is being wonderful right now, that could easily change as she matures. Some of the most destructive chewing doesn't start until puppies hit their "teens" at 6 or 7 months or a bit older. Just a word of caution for what may (or may not -- you may have a "perfect" puppy --- I had one of those about 25 years ago) be coming down the pike.