Author Topic: strong willed at five months  (Read 13495 times)

Offline meg

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strong willed at five months
« on: April 08, 2005, 01:36:32 pm »
Hi, I have a five month old female who is very strong minded.  I need some advise as what to do when she acts like this; ie when I tell her to do something she does not want to do, she barks at me, jumps, etc.  Is this aggression or assertiveness?  We have gone through puppy classes and beginners obedience.  HELP, please.   Thanks
« Last Edit: August 15, 2005, 03:24:20 pm by meg »

Offline Bear

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2005, 08:54:14 pm »
Hi Meg - I might be wrong but I think your little girl is simply 5 months old! That's just puppy behavior! You just need patience and continued positive reinforcement. I think you're doing great already through all of your puppy classes. Keep it up! She'll come around and when she does, she's going to be great.

Offline meg

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2005, 09:19:33 pm »
Hi and thanks for you insight.....sh e definately is full of energy.  One thing they told me at her puppy classes was "she has an attitude, BUT that is not a bad thing", when I questioned what was meant, they simply told me she was confident....S he is a sweetheart for sure; hope she still feels the same about me after Thursday, as she is being spayed then LOL......thank s again.  Great group and website, I am glad to be a part of it!

Offline Bear

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2005, 09:31:09 pm »
I'm glad to hear your spirits are high. Confidence is good - just make sure she knows who's alpha. Spaying should calm her down too right?

Offline Sullysmoms

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2005, 02:09:27 pm »
Is she grounded?  Sounds like normal puppy stuff, but if you don't get a handle on it and know how you want to handle it now when she behaves this way... things will just get worse as she gets bigger.  ;)

Offline njgoldens

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2005, 03:45:14 pm »
Hello Meg.  I would certainly make sure you work on a positive leadership program.  Please check out Patricia McConnell's book, How To Be The Leader Of The Pack And Have Your Dog Love You For It!  It's a great booklet, I pass this out to all my training clients.
Best of luck!  Tonya Wilhelm
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Offline BarbFox

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2005, 09:42:06 pm »
Another good resource is The Dog Whisperer on National Geographic Channel.  Wonderful ideas!

Offline sc.trojans

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2005, 10:33:35 am »

Sounds like you have what the British and Canadiens would refer to as a "cheeky dog" - she has attitude.  Typical cheeky behaviors are demand barking (she barks at you as if yelling at you and in fact IS - she is demanding some action from you - food, play, attention etc.), assertive body gestures for your attention, perhaps even butting another dog out of the way etc.

A cheeky dog isn't anything to worry about, but be sure to follow good training principles so to get it under control.  I had a cheeky dog and demand barking is not a good thing.  Whatever you do - don't enable it by petting her, giving her attention or doing the thing she is demanding when she does it.  My cheeky dog would stand in the kitchen and yell at me for food as I was preparing her dinner.  I would put everything down and walk out of the room when she started....it took a week for her to learn the demand barking wasn't going to work.  You can work on all behaviors like this and as has been recommended - Patricia McConnell has some great books out and I highly recommend.

Good luck
SC Trojans
with Gracie and Skylar

Offline meg

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2005, 11:50:50 am »
That is exactly what she is doing, except now she has started jumging, (which she hasn't done in quit awhile) and actually nipping, as if trying to grab my hand.  I have read the above mentioned book and really liked it, but she seems to be getting more of an attitude.  She is now nine months, and doing therapy training.  I am ready to pull her out of that just so no one will misinterpret this and be afraid of her.  IS THIS A STAGE? Will she get better or worse ??? ???

Thank you for trying to help me and PLEASE contine to do so as I am getting frustrated with this behavior.


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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #9 on: August 15, 2005, 12:04:35 pm »
That is exactly what she is doing, except now she has started jumging, (which she hasn't done in quit awhile) and actually nipping, as if trying to grab my hand.  I have read the above mentioned book and really liked it, but she seems to be getting more of an attitude.  She is now nine months, and doing therapy training.  I am ready to pull her out of that just so no one will misinterpret this and be afraid of her.  IS THIS A STAGE? Will she get better or worse ??? ???

Thank you for trying to help me and PLEASE contine to do so as I am getting frustrated with this behavior.


Samson was doing this same behaivor at around 7 months...he started out by charging me & then built up to grabbing my sleeve & then nipping at me as he went by...I was told eh was challanging my role as alpha & it needed to be stopped immediatly...W hen he charged me I was told to bring up a knee or turn a hip & move towards him so he couldn't keep comign at me...It took hardly any time at all to break him of this unwanted behaivor...Goo d luck but nip it in the bud now!

Offline Nina

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #10 on: August 15, 2005, 12:13:59 pm »
Hi Meg I have a 2 year old Lab and she is very strong willed, in fact I can't train her My finace had to, she listens to me but for the behavioral training I have trouble. I think because I am not asserting myself. Anyway, we use a halti and give a gentle tug on it when correction is needed. And this has worked wonders.

I think that with a dog that is stubborn, you need to add some form of correction with the training, like a halti or choke collar.

Just an idea it worked for Harley and she is really stubborn, only listens when she wants to.


Nina
Nina and Tim
Calgary, AB, Canada
Harley(Lab mix)
Dilbert(Pyr mix)At the bridge
Jolene (cat)

Offline Nina

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #11 on: August 15, 2005, 12:18:17 pm »
Oh and I stopped Dilberts nipping by holding his nose give a gentle squeeze, and looking him right in the eyes saying NO BITE. It took 2 days of this and he stopped. He had been nipping for 2 weeks and I tried everything and this worked. I read online this is how a mother would correct a pup, mouthing the nose.


Nina
Nina and Tim
Calgary, AB, Canada
Harley(Lab mix)
Dilbert(Pyr mix)At the bridge
Jolene (cat)

Offline SPIKESMOMMY

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Re: strong willed at five months
« Reply #12 on: August 15, 2005, 12:40:04 pm »
When Spike was nipping it was only when he was first brought home I would Scream and yip just like another puppy so he knew it hurt and he would give kisses to make it up to me but after awhile he stopped with the nipping. Don't know if that will help at all but it did for me and I think someone on this board actually suggested it to me.
Hope that at least helps with the nipping.
Rachael and Spike