Well here I am over a month later and I'm STILL dealing with the stubborn streak. LOL I just can't seem to make my voice stern enough.
Inside the house he's a hellion.. ignoring commands, nose on the counters, chasing the cats, stealing my son's toys, mauling our company. LOL Outside he's pulling on leash which he never did to this extent before. I always tell him NO PULL and make him sit. Then we continue on.
Yet at the same time I am the authority figure, I can see in the way he greets me. It's like he just can't help himself.. LOL
I wouldn't give Bubba up for anything in the world.. but I can see now how so many young dogs end up at the pound. You need alot more than patience to deal with the terrible puppy stage.
Here is what I would do with this boy:
1) get some baby gates and put them up in strategic areas. Kitchen doorway, etc.
2) get a longline, probably about 6-10 feet long, and keep this on his collar when you are in the house with him. It gives you a way to catch him and discipline him if you need to.
3) TARGET TRAIN the dog. Use a bathmat or his dog bed, and at least once per day, put him on the target and make him stay for 20 to 30 minutes. This is a regular exercise I use with my students to teach the puppy self control, and to put the owner in an alpha position. Put the dog on the target, and say "on your bed". Each time he gets up, put him back, and repeat, ON YOUR BED. Putting him back will lessen over the first week or so. By the end of a week, he should be staying on the target with few reminders from you.
4) if you don't have a toy box or basket, make one, and keep it stocked with interesting toys, many of which are smeared with cheez whiz or peanut butter. A tiny smear will do. SUPERVISION IS KEY in housetraining a dog. You MUST correct him EACH TIME he looks up at a table or countertop. I use my serious, AH AH voice. EACH TIME you interrupt the dog, take him cheerfully and directly to the toy box, and make sure he finds not only a toy, but a cookie as well.
5) you need obedience instruction with your puppy. Find a good class, and get in it as soon as possible. The pulling will only get worse unless and until you learn how to teach him not to. It's too much info to try to get across to you here, and you need someone to SHOW you technique. Meantime, if it were my pup, he's be on a prong collar until he learned to show me a little more respect.
Bascially, your pup needs a little boot camp. If he were my pup, or you were coming to me for instruction, your pup and your household would be following these rules for at least the next 30 days, along with your basic obedience homework.
http://www.chowwelfare.com/cciw/alpha.htmHe is a normal puppy. You must make SURE he can NOT ignore your commands. Do this with the long line. If you don't have a crate for him, you need one. He needs to learn RIGHT NOW that YOU are his boss, and if he does not listen and pay attention, there are going to be consequences and repercussions.