water / rattle bottle / barking / whining

hiya, has anyone used a rattle or water to stop a dog or pup barking? ive seen it used on dog borstal, just wondered if its ok to use on a pup, my pup was listening to us! but now when we say no he has started to bark, so we sprayed some water in his face which stopped him, he sulked for a bit then was back to normal playing.

just wondered if this is ok? as his only 9 weeks, i feel cruel as his so young! but you have to start young dont you?!

also when we leave a room he crys, i ignore him when i leave & get back, or i say no. but can i walk back and use water on him & say no, to him whining?

im so worried as part of the condition having him here is that he is quiet, i know obviously they can be noisy but if our landlord gets any comaplints!!!!

Thanks!

How old is you puppy ? Using the water or rattle bottle is a bit extreme if he's a baby

At such a young age I would only use positive rewards. Leave a room and come back when he is quiet and then reward him.He is still getting used to being alone and needs reassurance and praise. The water spray and rattle bottle will IMO make him scared of you. If he is barking when you are in the room then use a distraction such as a toy and give him a reward when he stops barking. When I had Fudge she just came with me round the house or went in her crate play area for short periods of time. The early days are about bonding and beginning to understand your pup. Letting her have lots of new experience and letting her gain in confidence.

he is only 9wks old!!!!

He is just a baby, you have only had him a few days.. He is probably terrified.. he doesn't want water sprayed in his face or rattles shook at him..

he needs positive reinforcement.. Praise him when he is quiet.. eve if its just for a minute..

Dogs bark... its their way of communicating!!

I agree with the others, water bottles etc. are extreme and really shouldn't be used on a pup who is so young.

You do need a lot of patience with a pup...after all, you wouldn't expect a human baby never to cry or do something you don't like would you?

Is this your first pup. Could I just say three things "Forget Dog Borstal". This programme deals with dogs who have had excessive problems. When have you ever seen a young pup on there?????
My advice would be get some good books on bringing up a puppy. The important thing is to praise when your dog does good. Your dog learns from positive reinforcement not squirting it in the face with water. If you want a well behaved, well adjusted dog at the end of this, do your homework. There is plenty of information on this forum, on a search engine or have a look at some books on say amazon. "Your Puppy's First Year" by Don Harper is a lovely book taking you through training, behaviour etc.
Please don't use extreme measures and copy things you've seen on tv when you don't know the full story behind it.
And remember this pup is a baby, just been taken away from it's litter and mother and will take time to adjust. Whining is part of it and to be honest at that age, a cuddle and doing everything you can to make that pup feel secure is the answer.
Anything else would be cruelty!!!!

can I just ask MistyBlue.. was it you that had your heart set on a GSD???

hiya thanks! we havent done it agian, i said he was too young so which is why i came to ask on here!!

i ma using rewards when i leave the room if his quiet i go back in & after 1 min i say well done & i gave him a little bit of chicken! he was very happy!!

i havent used a rattle bottle!! i was jsut asking about that!!

i have read so many books, ive got 4 here!! its just so much different when you actually have the pup.........!

oh! his also just leaened that his chew toy squeaks!! every seconds its now...squeak......squeak.......squeak!!!
yes that was me, but we felt that it wasnt fair to have him in a flat i still want one though!!

I`ve seen the results of a pup who was under that regime, he was under one of those people for training classes
By the time I met this Staffie, he was severely dog aggressive, miserable, `detached`, and totally hyper, with owners who felt equally miserable because the dogs mistrust of them was preventing a good bond but they trusted their `trainer` and followed everything he `taught` to the letter, thinking the dog was getting progressively worse because they must have been doing something wrong when the fact is the rubbish they were told to do when he was just a baby was the whole problem.
He was mess.
They came to me for agility, armed with rattle bottle etc.

Those items were binned immediately and positive reward / fun training put in place instead.
He and his family are very happy together now, but what a shame the first couple of years of his life were spent being treated like a `potential` monster when just a very young puppy, who would `dominate the world` without a rattle bottle used all the time , and no cuddles on the sofa allowed etc.

Oh yes, and he sleeps happily in his owners bedroom now along with their second Staffie whom he dotes on

Nuff said !

I agree with what's been said and really, really wouldn't use such a harsh technique on a dog that's still only a baby. Such "training" could damage a dog for life.

Unfortunately the Bichon as a breed are generally quite noisy (not sure about Westies, but being Terriers, I'm guessing they're quite vocal?!). My Sister has a Bichon and he's absolutely adorable and the ideal family pet for those with allergies, but he yaps at every available opportunity! It may well be something you'll just have to get used to, but the dog being young is a positive thing as you have more room to shape behaviour earlier!

I would try using positive methods eg like rewarding the dog when it's quiet and popping in a key word so the dog eventually associates that word with being quiet.