Woof! Bark! And also Whiiiiiiiiiine.

3 lurkers | 108 watchers

Metro_Nome Feb 2021 4:23pm, 16 Feb 2021 6,018 posts	0 Metro_Nome Excellent Roberto I'd love to one day run with Chester Over here our latest success has been finally making it through the night for the first time! we've been diligently getting up to take him to the toilet around 1am for the last few months, cos I really didn't want him to mess his crate, but we know he will let us know if he needs to go. so a few nights ago he did his normal last toilet, bed time at 9pm, and he slept through with no mess until after 7am night before last he had a whine at around 2:30am so we took him out, but then last night he was through the night again. even managing to sleep through the night every few nights will make such a difference to us (though I'm currently not sleeping much as I'm hyper aware listening out for him. but I know that will get better) in less success, we managed for a long time without him destroying anything of any importance. then he managed to get one of my favourite handbags, and a few days later destroyed a book that meant quite a lot to me. was my own fault for leaving it on the floor and forgetting to shut the door, but we were not friends that morning!
PenW Feb 2021 4:36pm, 16 Feb 2021 2,202 posts	0 PenW That’s great Roberto! And great news on the sleeping through MN! I’m having a lot of struggles. Albie has been really barky/bitey and hard to settle. I get emotional (high emotion for days now) and he picks up on it and it feeds his emotion too. I don’t know how to break the cycle as I’m exhausted with it. I’ve been nipped at/bitten and barked at repetitively the last couple of days. I think I’m a bit scared of him and am just in tears. I’ve shouted too, then feel awful. I don’t know how much longer I can manage this. I don’t know how to go about rehousing if I needed to. The shelters seem to say they don’t have much capacity on their websites and it can take weeks. I feel so bad also for thinking that but there’s no joy in this at the moment and I don’t know how much longer things will be like this before improvement. He’s not settling and sleeping in the afternoons and evenings - it can take ages for him to go down. Last night he was effectively barking and biting at me on and off from 8:30pm to 10pm. This was making me cry and he was then getting even more wound up. He’s bitten me today too. He only does what I say when he can see I have food. He’s super intelligent and keen to learn but totally all about the food and pesters for it constantly. I’ve lost so much fitness - my body just aches and doesn’t recover - I think it’s the constant stress. I’m exhausted. He’s now just over 20 weeks and I’ve had him for 12.5 weeks. Part of me wants to work through and help him develop and part of me just wants someone to take him away today. I’m dreading this evening. He wasn’t this bad a few weeks ago. He would settle in the evenings. Now it’s a huge battle. Sorry for the huge long post. I just don’t know what to do. If we weren’t in lockdown there would be options such as visiting friends or having people over (other than my bubble friend), getting face to face training and help. Etc.
Lizzie Whizz Feb 2021 4:37pm, 16 Feb 2021 24,539 posts	0 Lizzie Whizz ((Pen))
halfpint Feb 2021 5:03pm, 16 Feb 2021 34,165 posts	0 halfpint Oh Pen it sounds so tough. A few thoughts. First have you thought about changing food. Sometimes that can be what is making them unsettled. Also wondering how much of a routine you have. Ernie is certainly best when there is a clear routine. Final thought. My dog behaviourist recommended the Nothing In Life is Free approach. Feel free to ignore all of the above and just have this (()) instead.
PenW Feb 2021 7:03am, 17 Feb 2021 2,203 posts	0 PenW Thanks HP A better evening last night. I was on FaceTime to my parents and then later my sister and that seemed to help me and also Albie so he was chilling out a bit more. I know how stressed I have been about all this and as a whippet Albie will be extra sensitive. It’s very hard to be calm as it can be a vicious cycle but I need to work on it. I had a house lead on him last night (and the night before). It can make him easier to catch. I think I’m going to have to figure out a consistent plan. Out at work today so he has a chill day and 2 visits from dog walker. Lockdown makes it so much harder!
LazyDaisy Feb 2021 8:10am, 17 Feb 2021 32,587 posts	0 LazyDaisy I'm really sorry to hear you're so stressed Pen. May I also add some thoughts? You say that you've been highly emotional and Albie picks up on it. This is likely to be true so can you shut yourself away in a different room for 20 minutes or so, to meditate or just have an uninterrupted cuppa, to reset your stress levels? Albie might bark but if you do it regularly, then return to him with a cheerful, positive demeanour, he will eventually learn that being alone is not a problem and you come back ready to give him some calm fuss - not a wild game. I wouldn't be chasing him indoors. Remove anything he could possibly chew and keep doors closed to limit his area. Just like in field recall training, you must be irresistible so he comes to you, not the other way round. He's calling the shots right now but it needs to be you. Food is a great training aid, if it means he comes when called then reward! But don't reward for partial compliance (I got told off repeatedly for this by our dog trainer!!!) Doing this on your own in current circumstances with a wily puppy is probably the hardest set of circumstances you could have. Try to see that you are progressing even when it doesn't feel like it!
halfpint Feb 2021 8:36am, 17 Feb 2021 34,171 posts	0 halfpint Agree with LD re not chasing. Also rewarding when he chooses to do something positive. He needs to know what you DO want him to do. Attention/treats/play on your terms when he does something desirable like being calm or sitting. Disclaimer: my dog still has some terrible habits and I have not got the training completely right.
BaronessBL Feb 2021 8:51am, 17 Feb 2021 8,732 posts	0 BaronessBL LD is absolutely spot on with her excellent advice. I'd also add don't keep repeating a command if he doesn't do it - so if you repeatedly call him to you or ask him to go in his crate or pen and he doesn't he will learn disobedience to the command. Out trainer also told me not to constantly repeat the command to the dog while walking so when Wanda was learning to walk to heel/close I'd be repeating 'close - good dog........close - good girl.......' all the way along the road. The trainer said I should say 'close' and then keep walking. I imagine he would have said this for all commands although we mainly went to this trainer for walk-based training. Does Albie have the entire run of the house when you are there? Sometimes dogs feel more secure just in a smaller space. Some friends of mine learned the hard way by leaving their new rescue in an open plan room when they went out and would come home to scenes of destruction. But shut in the hallway he'd settle in his bed and be perfectly calm while they were out.
LazyDaisy Feb 2021 10:21am, 17 Feb 2021 32,588 posts	0 LazyDaisy Yes Baroness has reminded me that I was also told off for repeating commands, for exactly the same reason ie teaching the dog to ignore it So many times in that field in Lower Slaughter I heard 'it's not the dog, it's the owner we have to train!' so please don't go thinking you're the only person to struggle, Pen!
Mazlin Feb 2021 10:44am, 17 Feb 2021 9,777 posts	0 Mazlin Our behaviourist suggested hand feeding - it’s easier if you use dried food, but basically feeding a bit at a time and getting the dog to work for each bit. Apparently reinforces the idea that the best things come from you so you’re the greatest thing around. Rory has never settled well in the evenings - the only thing I can suggest that helps is giving him a chew or a bone to keep him busy. I find it really really stressful though - it’s like sharing your house with a person who’s constantly pacing about and randomly shouting about things. It’s deeply un-relaxing.