mastinson

First off my 2 boys are 11 weeks old and are half collie, half lab they will come and sit when we are in their pen, but when they are out they listen about 50% of the time if someone else is out side they listen 0%. What is the deal with these little guys are they just to young to deal with destractions and obedience? Please help.

Also one of them will bite and growl when touched if he is chewing on his bone. The other one will not. The one that does will bite out of anger because he thinks I am taking his bone, also he does not do this food only his bone. He has done this 2 days in a row and broke skin this afternoon please help.

h2oknine

They are puppies. hide Runaway clap call them to get thier attention or get on your knees or lay down to get their attention there are 2 don'ts 1 don't chase them becuase that will be detrimental in retrieving they start to think of it as a game the other is stay low so they are not intimidated by you. Dogs don't think of equality they think of dominance (Alpha) as they get older they will start to listen be patient and calm. Look for A Richard Wolters Dog training book he has several out I like Gamedog and Waterdog he also has family dog.

As for the second question you have you need to assert domanince make him under stand you are the pack leader not him. As he is chewing his bone or whatever he has even his food take it away if growls pop him on his nose( not very hard enough to surprise him) and tell him NO!! in a growling voice and don't give him back the bone or whatever else.Now when you go back later to take the bone take it and if he doesn't growl give it back to him and praise him in a pleasent voice.
I do one other thing with my dogs that are dominent I put them on their backs and put my hand around their throat and stiffen it ( I don't choke its there to represent another dogs mouth) Then I put an mean face and growl once they stop struggling (submission) and relax I let them go as reward. after few times of that they relize whos the boss
and I express this enough BE CONSISTENT IN YOU TRAINING.

SWOSUMike

These are just puppies. My 10 month old is just a puppy, and he just now is mastering the "come" command on a consistent basis. One thing you could do to make training easier is try to utilize what the dog already does on its own. For example, every time one is already coming to you on its own, say "come." This way you set the dog up for success by telling them to do what they are already doing. This could help young dogs by developing association between action and words. Every time one of the pup comes to you, whether you called them or not, let them know that they did very good. Teach them that anytime they are with you, they are in a "safe and good" place. As mentioned above, never chase a dog, and also don't hit them for not coming. The last thing you want them to think is that if they obey, there is a chance they will get popped. When you chase a dog down and pop them for not coming, they aren't going to want to come to you anymore than they did the first time. Patience is your key. Like I said, my 10 month old is still just a pup and I don't expect perfect compliance from him all the time. If your pups are having an unattentive day, give it a rest for a while and try again later. They will get it. Also, they may not know 100% what come means yet at that age. Try not to make a command you cannot immediately reinforce. For example, only tell them to come if they are already coming or if you have them on a leash or long lead. As for the aggressive pup, this is something that you can take care of right now. No need to let puppies be puppies when it comes to aggression. My pup is about the grittiest, scrappiest pup I have seen in a while, but he is the best natured pup around people, but he wasn't when he was your pup's age. He would get very angry and try to have his way. Sometimes he would come at me like I was a littermate that needed a lesson. I say this to tell you that my pup was probably worse about all this than your puppy is, but with the method I used I now have a great dog who has a very calm nature with people. Every time your dog shows any aggression, surprise them by grabbing the scruff on the top of the neck and shaking it and growling at the same time, just like his momma would do. Don't be extremely rough, but be rough enough to surprise the dog and make them not like it. You might look a little funny to anyone watching you, but it works. Sometimes I would do this, and then my pup would get even angrier and feistier, so I got more aggressive and did it again. I was consistent and never allowed him to think he could get away with his behavior. He quickly figured out that I was not a littermate and that I was the boss. If you don't want to try this (though it works and is worth a try) you can keep a mixture of 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle and mist his nose when he is misbehaving. I taught my puppy not to mouth me by spraying him and telling him "no bites." Good luck.

SWOSUMike

I will add this: Even when your pups learn what come means, I can pretty much bet you they will go through a phase around 5-7 months of age where they ignore you[:@]. It makes you angry but you just have to stay consistent. For now, try getting a person to help you and both of you get about 10 feet apart from each other. Both of you have a pile of dog jerky or bacon bits. One person call the puppy and give them a treat, then hold the dog until the other person calls and let the puppy go to them. They should catch on to the game very quickly and before long they will try to run to one person, get their treat and hustle back to the other person. You have to hold them until your partner calls them again

drgildy

You should never tolerate a dog that will growl or bite. I usually start when they are 6 or 7 weeks old. Feed them or let them have a bone then when they are interested in the bone or feed tug a little on their tail. When they growl or try to bite grab them by the nape of the neck, lift them off the ground and say no in a growling voice. Once or twice of this and they will never try you again. You don't hurt them but you sure train them. If they are too big for this handling then grab the muzzle and squeeze a bit and also say no and growl at them. You must always be the alpha!

mastinson

Thanks guys I have the growling problem pretty well licked. They have figured out it wont work and i'am stronger and growl louder.