it's always playtime for him! help!

[vale]

Hi everyone!

I'm here again today because I'm kind of really mad at my 4 month old puppy. He seems to think that it's always playtime, even if it's the complete opposite. For instance, if he has an accident inside, I reprimand him in a firm voice and tell him he's been a bad boy... but he thinks I want to play! So he starts jumping on me and barking at me, and I have to put something between the two of us (I tried my knee but it hurts ) ortherwise he bites me or I get marks from his nails (especially now, since it's hot outside and I get to wear more shorts and dresses). If I don't do that, I try to make him focus on my hand just so he doesn't jump on me (he's 45 lbs by the way - I need to correct the jumping like, NOW). Oh, I know about the redirecting thing, and it does work if I happen to have a toy near us, but he usually gets me while I'm trying to get that toy.

I also tried to give him a command when he does that, but he just won't listen. He gets overexcited and doesn't seem to think anymore He will also act like this if I wear a dress. Then he wants to grab it and even if I tell him NO, he goes for it. He made several holes in clothes (my sister's, mine, as well as my boyfriend's). When we go outside (I don't leash him here because the backyard is well fenced) and he does his things, I usually praise him a lot (he's been having issues lately with house training, so I got back to this) and it gets him excited and then it all starts again.

So I want to know how do I teach him it's not always playtime? How do I get him to understand the difference between when it's ok to play and when it's not?

By the way, we go on walks everyday and he's such a lovely boy after that... but even DURING walks, he's a little monster and if he gets excited, he tries to grab his leash or my hands or bites my legs to get me to play (as if I wanted to play after that ). Puppy classes start next week, also.

And since we're speaking of walks, I should mention that he loves everyone... way too much. In fact, I think he knows that everytime people pass by, he gets tons of attention from them (those "oh, he's so sweet", "he's so cute" comments, accompanied by lots of caresses and everything). That makes it hard for me to walk him, because he won't focus enough to keep going when we see someone. He will pull as much as he can just to go to that person. It was cute (according to people, not me) when he was young, but he's gotten big now and I can't let him do this anymore. I thought of telling everyone not to approach him because he bites just so they will stop petting him! But it wouldn't be fair for the whole breed. How do I stop this frenetic behavior?

Any advice would be nice! I tend to become impatient when he jumps and bites and doesn't listen at all, and I put him in his crate (as I did when he was younger, because when he got like that it meant he was tired).

[AngelBunny]

My advice to you?

Get yourself and your puppy into obed class. What you describe is normal, healthy, energetic puppy behavior. What you have to do is begin directing and channeling all that exuberance correctly. This is done by signing yourself and your puppy up for class.

Once you start making him use his brain, you will wear him out. The way to handle frenetic (to use your adjective) behavior is to exercise the dog, mentally and physically.

[damp]

Originally Posted by AngelBunny

What you describe is normal, healthy, energetic puppy behavior.

YES.....

but also the 4 months old pup is screaming out: "I need a leader"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vale]

I do know that and that's why I wrote in my first post that we're starting puppy classes next week.

He gets plenty of physical exercise as well as mental exercise. He knows and does everything - sit, rollover, speak, shake hands, lay down, head down, fetch... And I make sure to practice them all over and over again, every single day.

[damp]

Originally Posted by vale

He gets plenty of physical exercise as well as mental exercise. He knows and does everything - sit, rollover, speak, shake hands, lay down, head down, fetch... And I make sure to practice them all over and over again, every single day.

If so.... what is your problem??????????????????????

[vale]

Originally Posted by damp

YES.....

but also the 4 months old pup is screaming out: "I need a leader"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm trying hard as hell to make that right, to teach him that I'm the leader. I do everything I read in the forums so far. I make him sit before I open a door (car's, house's) and I make sure to go outside/inside before him. I make him sit and wait when I feed/water him. I make him do any command when he comes to me for attention, before he even gets any. He's not allowed neither on the couch, nor on the bed. He sleeps in his crate. We eat before he does. He "leaves it "and "gives it" when he's asked to (unless he's overexcited or thinks it's time to play).

[vale]

My problem is that I want him to understand the different tones of voice I use. If he does something bad and I reprimand him, he just wants to play, he thinks I want to play. I want this to stop. When he jumps on me and I tell him to stop in a firm voice, I want him to understand that it's not playtime, it's not funny, it's time to stop. I want to know how I get him to stop pulling on his leash because he wants to go to people and get their attention.

I wans't looking for that kind of replies. Maybe it's me misunderstanding you guys, but I feel criticism here and I wasn't looking for that. I have tons of questions, he's my first Rottweiler and I don't want to mess it all up. I'm trying to do things right.

If it's normal puppy behavior then fine, tell me so without being so rude or critical towards me.

[vale]

Originally Posted by AngelBunny

Once you start making him use his brain, you will wear him out. The way to handle frenetic (to use your adjective) behavior is to exercise the dog, mentally and physically.

That behavior I was talking about is him pulling on the leash to meet people when we're walking.

[damp]

Originally Posted by vale

He gets plenty of physical exercise as well as mental exercise. He knows and does everything - sit, rollover, speak, shake hands, lay down, head down, fetch... And I make sure to practice them all over and over again, every single day.

Again.... if he knows all of the above commands, I suggest you give a sit or down command whenever he does something not wanted or not acceptable....

Pulling on leash: You simply just stop walking, when there is the slightest "tension" on the lead! and praise when your pup walks on slack lead!

Again I will qoute my first mentor: No matter if you praise or corret your dog, if you don't see a reaction/change... you have NOT done your job!

[RottsNScotts]

Vale, Vale, Vale, You have a PUPPY!!! He isn't going to be "good" all the time or even much of the time! You shouldn't be scolding or reprimanding him for anything at this point, in my opinion. If he makes a mistake, it is because he was not set up to only have successes. His hyper-drive that is directed to you, family and all people is a GOOD thing, again in my opinion, because it is indicating his high desire to engage with you, rather than being more into himself which, trust me, is WAY more of a problem, especially later on as your training develops.

If you are going to be interacting with him - read, "in the same room as he" in his mind! - you need to have his toy ON YOU, not have to go get it to redirect him. If you have to go get it, you have lost the moment for its correct application.

If he has an accident inside, the only one that should be reprimanded is whomever didn't get him outside soon enough or who had him out when they couldn't watch him closely enough.

Outside, if he is getting too excited when he is praised, either tone down the praise - tone down, not stop - or put him on a leash so you can direct his actions more efficiently. Leashes are for control as much as for keeping him in the yard.

You also need to learn how to give him his commands when you see he is getting READY to go into hyperdrive, NOT once he is there!, and have him on leash, or put him on leash, so that you can make sure he does what he is told in a directive, not punitive, manner. His barking at you is his own frustration taking voice.

In your training, because he knows the basic commands, you can start upping the ante by starting with really low level distractions that he has to overcome in order to be rewarded. At this point, he does not know them well enough for them to overcome his own drives because he is a PUPPY! You can start shaping him by working on teaching him that the sooner he obeys, the sooner he gets what he wants; ie., fast response, a good play session; slow response, soft praise but no play.

Sounds like you have a higher drive pup that fortunately wants to engage with you. USE that to your advantage rather than not liking it! This behavior is my favorite kind of dog!

Also, don't tell people that he bites, for pete's sake. Tell them that he is a pup that is growing up and is having a bit of a struggle with self control so he is in training to work on that so you would prefer that they not greet him until he has shown some self control.

[AngelBunny]

vale, from where did you get your puppy?

[frontierrots]

please describe your daily schedule with this boy. Your description does in fact sound like he's underexercised and bored (although like small kids- too much excitement can crank them up too)

Do you speak in normal tones to him or high baby speak? Do you praise with a calm "good" or an excited "oh what a GOOD pup!!!" High drive pups crank it up when you use an excited high voice

Pups require at MIN 3 hours a day for their care and training and socializing (bare minimum) for at least 2 years. Some pups require LOTS more training, exercise and socialization time

[mamamia1]

Originally Posted by vale

I do know that and that's why I wrote in my first post that we're starting puppy classes next week.

He gets plenty of physical exercise as well as mental exercise. He knows and does everything - sit, rollover, speak, shake hands, lay down, head down, fetch... And I make sure to practice them all over and over again, every single day.

Your fellow sounds very much like my girl, who is now 6 months. We are now in our 3rd session of training and have been able to reduce many of the behaviours that you have described, such as the jumping, but we are constantly working hard at eliminating them which can be very challenging to say the least. So believe me I am watching this thread very closely for advice.

If there is one thing I have realized, all the tricks that you have mentioned, aside from the sit, are great fun to work on and are really cute to watch but they are really so much less functional than all of the fundamental obedience actions such as down, stay, come, heel, drop, leave it, etc. I would spend more time working on the cake and spread the icing on later.

A consistant drop, stay or come can save your dog's life, and IMO they deserve much more time dedicated to them.

[mikimm]

Vale, this is normal baby puppy behavior. It *is* always playtime. Your pup isn't doing bad things to be bad. Your pup needs positive reinforcement for doing things you expect (chewing on toys instead of you, keeping all 4 feet on the ground, etc). We don't expect a two year old human child to know right from wrong, and we work with them to help guide their behavior and prevent toddler meltdown. It's the same with a young puppy. Training time is supposed to be positive, fun, and short. If something "bad" happens it's because we didn't do our job in paying attention to the puppy's cues and guiding them toward appropriate behavior.

I've got a 3 1/2 month old puppy, and his behavior would probably be like yours too if I wasn't constantly paying attention and reinforcing appropriate behavior and redirecting his behavior when it is inappropriate.