Diciplinary action on Puppies

[IceWish]

Hi , ive read through all the great articles on dominance and puppy behavior. I just have a few ques.
Ive never owned a Rott before , i got a 3 1/2 month old pup about a week ago.He was a little under weight because he had parvo a few weeks before.I took him to the vet and i was told that he had a slight infection in his kidneys and a his eyes were a bit cloudy.
He is feeling much better now, much more energetic , i feed him 3 times a day and would play with him for about an hour each time.He doesnt have a big biting problem, i never let him bite my hands , i would always say no.Yest i noticed that he was jumping along side my nephiew who is 4yrs. and he bit his t shirt. I really do not want that type of behavior with the kids so i got up and said no in a loud voice and (im not sure i should have done this) i held him just below the neck , he kinda fell over so i held him on the ground while striggling a little, until he was calm then i released him, after that he was not playful for a while , just a little quiet.What should I have done in this situation?

He likes to bite the plants and i would say "no" and remove him, sometimes he would growl and fight a little to bite the plants. I never had a large breed dog, he seems pretty big for a puppy and when he growled and lunged for the plants i removed my hands instinctively, then grabbed him soon after and gave him one of his toys....i only had him a week and i guess i thought he would bite....(even though hes just getting his little teeth).What is the correct way to teach him that he should not do this?
He is so strong ...... when walking him back to kennel he always struggles to run faster, i struggle to keep him by my side or behind me. Sometimes i stop to calm him but he is always pulling and i have to apply tension on the leash to keep him there. How do i handle this situation?

one more question. If i have to hold him to calm him down. How long should i hold him for? what should i do if he starts to growl or struggle?i only had him a week, would he try to bite me? :)
Can you please tell me all the diffrent (and correct) ways to discipline a puppy I would really appreciat it.

Thank you.

[IceWish]

bump......,
no one can offer any advice?

[aldelgreco]

well, i am nowhere near the expert on rotties as half of the people on here, as I have only gotten my first in the last two weeks. But having raised well-behaved other dogs, my suggestion would be to always remember not to cuddle the dog, etc. when he is exhibiting unacceptable behaviors. To a puppy, it is my understanding that they will associate that negative behavior with the reward of getting that loving attention from you. Instead of holding him, maybe you could just ignore him and leave the room or nicely put him up in his crate until he settles down (as long as you don't do it in a way in which the pup will associate the crate with punishment.) At this age, they really want to be around you, are extremely attached to you and yet at the same time, believe that the world revolves around THEM. Anything you can do consistently to make their world "make less sense" whenever they behave badly should deter future transgressions. You just gotta remember that when you lash out at them, it makes them scared of training, so it is a fine line to walk.

[Maxxx]

First off, please don't hold your puppy down. It scares them and intensifies the situation. Always redirect and praise. If he's biting something he shouldn't, stick one of his toys in his mouth and praise like crazy. We had toys all over the place when Max was younger so one would always be available.

In reagrds to him pulling, if he pulls, turn around and go the other way. When he follows praise. Keep doing this until he understands that pulling gets him nowhere. Also, treats for him staying at your side work wonders.

To calm him down, if you don't have a crate, get one and give him a time out in there with his favorite toy and treat. At that age, 2-5 mins will do. Just remember to make the crate a great place for him and he won't mind being in there for a time out or nap.

In regards to your nephew, I'm sure you pup was biting him because they were running and playing and you pup thinks your nephew is a littermate. I'd stop them from playing asap and teach your pup to not bite at clothes because that's the same thing as biting skin. Lots of redirection with toys and praise will work here too. Anytime he gets skin or clothes, stick a toy in his mouth and praise him for chewing the toy.

Good luck!

[IceWish]

thanx for all the replys :):)

[Zumie05]

You are right at giving the dog an appropriate toy to chew on when he goes for the plants. Holding a dog down however can cause problems, so I would stop doing that. If he bites or nips at anyones hands or clothing, do the same with the plants and give him a better option like a toy. Repeat over and over and over, it will go away soon. Your pup is at the age where the puppy nipping thing is just starting to go away, so really just stay consistent and it will stop soon.

Pulling on the leash is a whole different story. Basically don't let him pull you. If there is tension, stop walking and back up a few steps or simply change direction while calling the pup back closer in to you. Only when the leash is loose can forward movement towards your destination be made. Try bringing treats along for faster results and a more motivated pup too

When he is older you may have to try out some other devices. I started off with a martingale when my guy was 4 months and when he turned 6.5 months he switched to a prong. Get into training classes to learn more about getting your pup to walk nice on a leash as well as other behaviors!

[IceWish]

thank you all for the great advice, things have been alot better since this post. I guess my biggest problem was not knowing the correct procedure for disciplining a puppy. I think its mostly re direction rather than pumishment since all pups go through the same stages, everything is expected considered normal 'puppy behavior'. ...

[Paully]

IceWish, I am learning too, my Paully has 6 month old and has the same behavior with the plants, I have a plant near the daining room and everytime she passes near she always took a leaf like taking a ticket in the supermarket where you order meat!! one time I was behind her and stoped her and told her: please Paully leave my plants and i repeated her this no, please no, no. and told her to laid down so she did and I gave her a treat. Now when we pass near the plant I always say no before she does it and she just give me a look like saying ok,ok..

My brother always tell me, talk, talk talk whith her and just be patient, later you will laugh about it