Quick bit about Cole

[ColesMom]

Cole is a 17 week old Rotti. He is also my very first dog ever. My husband has owned 2 Rottis before and my son has always wanted one. But wow, was I ever in for a surprised with how much work it is.

Cole has come a long way and has a long way to go. He can sit and stay. He can come and did beautifully this weekend coming to me when called, but I think he still expects treats every time (no, he doesn't get treats every time, just now and again for reinforcement).

He does not know down yet, still trying to figure this one out. When I take his front paws and put him in a down, he just tries to nibble my wrists.

There are a few things I'm still having trouble with. Well the biting/mouthing for one. I walk around with a small bottle of bitter apple and once he knows I have it, he is better behaved. If he figures out I don't have the bottle in-hand he bits at my shoes/feet/pants. Will I have to walk around with the bottle forever?

My son (13) is not as quick and coordinated with the bitter apple and Cole just eats him alive and jumps and bites at clothes when my son is in the room. It's maddening. We try not to step in because we know our son has to do it otherwise he'll never be able to control him if we aren't around. Cole is sooo well behaved when my son isn't around but turns into terror-puppy when son is around or was recently around.

The other is getting him to not bolt through the door before me. I can get him to sit/stay at the door while I open it but the second I take a step he bolts in the house. He does well when we are going in and out the gate for walks and he has his prong on then, maybe that is the key to teaching him? Suggestions welcome.

And the last big thing is getting him to sit while I put his collar on. He squirms and fights and fidgets and it's a wresting match. I usually cheat and put collars on while he's eating. My husband demonstrating having him sit and doing it and it took a while but he did it. I tried it this morning but it still ended up being a struggle. I just need more patience, but again suggestions are welcome.

Thanks for reading my post. I'm reading the posts on here actively, and just wanted to post and say HI!

[brunie's mom]

Get signed up for obedience classes ASAP!!
All of your problems will be solved taking a class. At 17 weeks he should know down....put him in a sit......show him a yummy treat and holding the treat near his nose...pull the treat down and then along the ground...like the shape of the letter "L"...while saying "down". You can also teach this from a standing positing using the same technique....but put the treat in between his front legs. They usually have to go down to get the treat. As soon as the elbows are flat on the ground...give treat and PRAISE.

As for bolting through the door.... he should be on a leash....your leash is your best training tool.

Ditch the bitter apple spray...as you can see it is not working all of the time. Better to teach the puppy not to bite, with redirection, ignoring and short time outs. Redirect your puppy to what it is allowed to bite...a tug rope, a stuffed animal, a squeaky toy,etc. Keep that in your pocket and around..instead of bitter apple.

Get enrolled into classes...this is a breed that needs formal obedience classes for the next couple of years...or you will be facing problems in the future.

Gina

[knut]

For the collar, try having him sit, reward with a treat, then as you are putting the collar on, treat again. Take your time. Make the collar a good thing.
Using food as a reward is not a bad thing. 17 weeks is still a very young pup. Make everything as fun as you can make it.
Down is just as noted above. Have him sit, then down, then stand, all using food as a lure, reward, or both. Do this several times a day for just a few minutes each. Add in 'stay' and come and then increase the distance a little at a time. Soon you will be having him sit, down, stand and coming from across the room.
I do a lot of my training from my recliner watching TV.

Capturing behavior is my favorite approach. When your pup lies down, say "down" and reward. Do this for all behavior that you want to instill. Reward him for doing tings like chewing on a toy. Clicker training is also easy to learn and works great for capturing behaviors. Educate yourself as much as possible about different training techniques and modalities.
Just keep it fun for you and the pup. Good luck.

[bliss7373]

Welcome!

I agree with Gina and Knut entirely. You really should find a good puppy class, one that uses positive training techniques. You will be SO glad you did.

It seems like, from your posts, that some of the methods that you're using are a little old school (like physically putting him in a down, using a squirt bottle for biting, etc). There are newer, more positive methods of training that you and your puppy will enjoy so much more! And they are extremely effective!

To address your specific questions:

1. The biting. Getting through the landshark stage takes patience and consistency. When Cole starts to bite, give him a verbal "ah-ah" (light negative feedback). Then redirect him onto a toy that he CAN chew on by wiggling the toy around and making it fun. Every member of the family should have a toy on them at all times. PRAISE when Cole does engage with the toy. In other words, you are showing him what you want him to chew on. Just remember that he is a young dog with a short attention span. You'll need to do this a lot.

2. Teaching a down. Gina gave you an excellent technique for luring the down. I would also encourage you to research clicker training (google "Karen Pryor") and consider finding a class that uses this method. There are three main "methods" to teach a new behavior: shape, lure, or capture. Luring is what Gina described, using a body language and treat in front of the dog's nose to elicit the behavior you want. Shaping geared towards letting the dog figure out what you want and rewarding behaviors that aim in the right direction. Capturing is waiting until the dog does it on his own, then rewarding. I shaped the down by holding a treat in my right hand. I let my puppy see the treat, then closed my fist and put my fist palm side down against the floor. She nosed, gnawed, pawed, and jumped on my hand. I waited. Eventually, she laid down to keep working on it....I clicked and treated, praised like mad. The next repetition was quicker. I kept repeating until my closed fist, facing down became the hand signal for the down.

3. Door bolting. This is all about self control. To get what he wants, Cole must give you what you want. Put Cole on a leash, stand in front of the door. Wait patiently. He will whine, jump, etc. Eventually, he'll get frustrated and sit down. Praise! (or click and treat). Reach for the door handle. If his butt comes up, start over... say "oops" (a little negative feedback), let go of the door handle and step back into place. When Cole learns to sit politely when you reach for the handle, start to open the door. Don't forget to praise when he's being good! The same thing will happen - he will hop up in joy! - say "oops", close the door and step back into place. You see where I am going with this. Eventually Cole will learn that he must mind his manners and sit politely while the door is opening. This will take awhile. I'd suggest that you let him out to potty first.

But you must also incorporate a release word into your training. This is the word that will let Cole know that it's okay to proceed out the door. You'll use the same thing to let him know he can stop staying, etc. I use "break"....other's use "okay" or "free"....etc. So, when Cole gets to the point that the door is open and he's waiting patiently....say "Break!", step joyfully through the door and praise like mad!

I'd also encourage you to order and watch Susan Garrett's video called "Crate Games" - it is really helpful.

4. Squirming while putting the collar on. You need to make this into a positive thing for him. The fact that he is pitching a fit is a clear communication that he doesn't see the collar as a good thing - and the last thing you want is a dog who is worried about you physically touching/working with him. Get the treats out. Have him sit by you, feed him a treat, smoothly slip the collar around his neck and close it, treat again quickly. Praise all the while. You can even practice this in bursts. Sit on the floor with the collar and a baggie of treats. Practice putting the collar on and off while you praise and treat. Before long, he'll think this is a fine game!

I hope this helps!