Teething problems with rescue dog.

Hi guys, following on from my last post both dogs are staying with me and are at home.
I am however bow having some dog related issues and wondered if anyone could shed some light.
So, I have two dogs. One 6 year old GSD and a rescue dog who is a gsd x border collie and he is about a year ish.

Both dogs got on very well from the beginning. Sleep together and play together and get along fine. Older one sometimes gets tired but a growl usually sends the other away.
Anyway, I've had the second dog a while now, maybe about 5 weeks in total and at first he was terrified. I think he might be testing the boundaries now though and has being maybe too confident!!

Firstly, the boys play but sometimes get very rough, it sounds like blue murder with growling and mouthing and jumping on eachother/boxing eachother. Neither has been hurt but are often covered in spit! How can I stop this?

Secondly the second is obsessed by toys. My older boy likes playing but if say for instance I throw the ball for my old dog, the pup leaps in and grabs it from his mouth. This causes friction between them and my old boy gets annoyed. He also tries his hardest to play but can't get a word in edgeways with the pup. He is arthritis and hd so can't run like the pup can. Also how can I possibly tire them out without throwing a ball?
I've tried taking 2 but pup will drop his ball in favor of old dogs, causing fights to break out!! They have not fought badly only growled and mouthed eachother but I'm scares it will esculate. If I shout they stop but it has got a little heated. After they are fine no hard feelings!!

Thirdly and more importantly the pup has no training at all (probably why he was abandoned!!) he is super focused on what he is doing but it is never me. At home it's ball ball ball and outside it's smells and dogs. He does not recall even for treats as other things are more interesting. He also jumps up and barks and digs.
All I want is for him to walk nicely and come back when called but if he docent come back for treats what else can I try??

Thanks if you got this far!!!

I would get your pup to some classes, get the walking and the recall sorted out, and get him used to paying attention to you.

Sometimes when you are playing ball with the older dog, get the pup to sit and stay next to you, (with a lead if needed) then the older dog will get to play and the pup will learn that he has to consentrate on you from time to time not just the other dog and the ball. Then give the pup a chance to play with the ball and keep the older one with you.
I am sure others will give you far better advice on how to sort things out but hopefully that will do for starters.

Your rescue sounds just like mine - I've had him around nine months and it's really only in the past four or five weeks that he's really started to calm down.

It's very early days so do give it some time. Try and find a good training class for your rescue dog, with a trainer who only uses positive methods and who is experienced.

Firstly, the boys play but sometimes get very rough, it sounds like blue murder with growling and mouthing and jumping on eachother/boxing eachother. Neither has been hurt but are often covered in spit! How can I stop this?

You need to have an interrupter word or signal and then give them something else specific to do, like lie down. IT is fine to play if both are enjoying it, however YOU need to control how far it goes (just as you would with children) and stop it if it looks as though it is going out of control; dogs who get off on this sort of play become adrenaline junkies in an unhealthy sort of way and start looking to do this to get that rush.

Secondly the second is obsessed by toys. My older boy likes playing but if say for instance I throw the ball for my old dog, the pup leaps in and grabs it from his mouth. This causes friction between them and my old boy gets annoyed. He also tries his hardest to play but can't get a word in edgeways with the pup. He is arthritis and hd so can't run like the pup can. Also how can I possibly tire them out without throwing a ball?I've tried taking 2 but pup will drop his ball in favor of old dogs, causing fights to break out!! They have not fought badly only growled and mouthed eachother but I'm scares it will esculate. If I shout they stop but it has got a little heated. After they are fine no hard feelings!!

Put one on a lead whilst you throw the ball for the other, swap, it will give your old boy a rest and teach your other dog self control if you do it correctly and insist on controlled behaviour before he is allowed to run and get it. A ball is a good way of getting control over your dog however, again it can make a dog an adrenaline junkie unable to exist without it.

Thirdly and more importantly the pup has no training at all (probably why he was abandoned!!) he is super focused on what he is doing but it is never me. At home it's ball ball ball and outside it's smells and dogs. He does not recall even for treats as other things are more interesting. He also jumps up and barks and digs.

By controlling the games with your dog and being in charge of access to the ball you should be able to easily control this dog with the ball as reinforcement instead of treats. In order to do this, he must only be able to get the ball when YOU say so and never have it outside of interraction between you.

play...


I`d train the youngster on his own, using toys as `rewards`. Toy-oriented dogs are great to train - they are so focussed. So use his drive to get his attention, and keep him keen.
When out with the older dog, keep the ball in your pocket and only use it in a controlled way.
While a dog is in training, walks are for learning, not for tiring them out.

Yes it does look much like that only sometimes it esculates into an argument when one gets annoyed!

I am just finding it really hard to train the pup, he listens at home in the garden but outside there are too many distractions and he just wont listen at all! Even treats dont tempt him!

Hi,

I can't help but can empathise with your situation. I have just recently rescued Dottie but she is actually pretty good at listening in the garden or the house, in fact anywhere where there aren't distractions. However, there are times when we are in the park that no matter what I do, she is so focussed on something else going on that I would not have any control without the lead. She isn't that bothered about treats and has no interest in toys so far so I'm not sure what to do.

Scott

Dogs are rubbish at generalising.

They look at you like God in the house and garden and the local village hall (once they have been there a couple of times) because there is nothing more exciting to do.

(That is why I ban the "he does it at home" phrase at classes)

Imagine you were at work, in an open plan office, you can concentrate quite well, once you are used to it, but if (insert relevant hot totty) walked in, would your head still be down, concentraing on the figures your boss needs in half an hour?

I don't think so.

You have to determine your "sphere of influence" with your dog.

When you are training at home and you have it off pat, then you toddle off to another area with few distractions and practice there; you have to expect the "trained behaviour" to disappear and dogs will often give the impression that they have never heard the word "sit". They are not being stupid, stubborn or disobedient, they are being dogs; it is quite normal; we ALL go through it.

Then gradually you go to other places increasing the level of distraction until, if you are like me, you go to outside Sainsbury's on Saturday morning to "proof" competition heelwork, off lead in the middle of a crowd.

If you can get it there you have some hope in a competition! ')

As your relationship develops your sphere of influence will widen so when at first you can only get a reliable sit when you are NEXT to a dog, you can get it 10 ft away, 30ft away and 100ft away.

BUT it takes time, practice and a planned development schedule!

If a dog is not interested in treats, why give them, only FEED your dog during training. A dog that is not hungry is less likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

If a dog is not interested in toys, it is often because they are not presented in an interesting way. You need to make the toy "alive" and sometimes you need someone to show you how to do this............. it is hard work, those of us who want dogs interested in toys start at 7 weeks; some resuce dogs appear NEVER to have been played with!


Does that help?

Hi Smokeybear,

definitely all helpful advice thanks. I know it is going to take a while and it just needs perserverence. I'm really not expecting her to be amazing at this stage, just trying to let Littlepony know that it's not just her dog that behaves differently in different places.

As for the feeding and treats. It seems a bit mean not to feed her, or rather to only feed her bits during training? Also, how do I make sure that she is getting a good diet if I'm just feeding her treats?

Thanks again,
Scott

I don't think I said only feed her treats?!

Weigh out the daily portion of food, and then put it in a bag or bags, and only feed when out, you have read my recall article, so same principle.

If you think it is "mean" not to feed her or only on training, welll you have already said you would have no control without the lead, so if she ignored you and got hig by a car, bitten by an unsocial dog, or whacked by an annoyed owner, would that be "meaner"?

Put it this way, if you won the lottery would you still be going to work every day?

If a dog gets free meals at either end of the day, where is the motivation to do anything for you?

Just a thought, this is only my view, you may have a better way, there is more than one way to skin a cat!