HAS ANYONE USED AN ELECTRIC COLLAR

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

Hey everyone.. i have a 7 month old Goldendoodle.. he is about 65 pounds now and is very wild..he jumps on everyone.. counter surfs.. and is VERY mouthy still!! i am contemplating getting an electric collar..set on VERY low just for in the house use.. when he is jumping up on people and nipping and things of that nature.. he goes to puppy classes has a trainer and gets several walks a day. this behavior is just not acceptable, as i cannot even have friends over the house. if i ever have a child he cannot be nipping and jumping like he is now.. he is in a teenage bratty stage i guess and is refusing to listen to me. anyways has anyone tried one of these collars? if so how did it work.. which did u use? and when will this behavior stop?? at what age?? thanks again

[Ginny Nightingale]

I agree that it is too soon to use the E collar--when you say that he is very mouthy STILL it sounds like you expected him to be better at this age than he is and that all this puppy stuff should be over--wrong! As others have said, you have a ways to go and he will get better--the end of puppy stage is considered to be 2 years old and even that is not reliable! You will surely make big progress before that age, but you have some work ahead of you! The E collar will not replace the training and the psychological progress the dog needs to make and may make him confused and anxious--which could lead to aggression--so I would wait on that.

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

Thank u please look at my comment above.. I don't know what else to do

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It sounds like you may not be reinforcing the training consistently on a day to day basis. Training has to be 24/7 and not just in class or when the trainer is there. I too would like to hear more about what kind of obedience training you are doing, and what you do when he does jump or nip. Are you correcting him every single time? Are you practicing down-stays every day, several times a day?

Also, is anyone (it's usually a man) playing games with him where you hold something in the air above him and encourage him to jump for it? Do you ever allow him to grab something from your hand? Do you ever wrestle a ball or a toy out of his mouth when you are playing with him? Do you play tug of war? If so, it has to stop immediately. He must put the ball or toy down before you throw it for him. If he jumps to grab a toy or anything else from your hand, or if his teeth touch your skin or clothing, you immediately stop playing and ignore him.

It also sounds like he may not be getting enough exercise to burn off all his energy. "Several walks a day" is not enough for a big sporting breed; he needs to be running, ideally on a daily basis. How often does he get the chance to really run until he wears himself out?  

 

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

thank you! i cant find my comment of things i have tried..but i tried yelping.. spray bottle with water.. bitter apple.. pressure on his lips with his teeth..can of coins.. a drop of hot sauce on my hands.. nothing works.. if u are just rubbing his belly hes nipping.. from the moment he wakes up.. i can put a treat in my hand and say leave it and he backs off..but if hes biting and i say leave it he wont.. i can put a treat on the floor in front of him and say leave it he wont touch it..when i come home he is in his crate and i say stay stay...and he wont come out until i release him.. but if like mymom or sister comes over he is flying in the air up at them and he can really knock them over.. i say "off" and yank him down by his collar...but he keeps flying up again.. i say sit ,, he is too crazed to sit.. i do obedience in the house with him.. and he is good because he is focused.. but if he looses it he starts jumping up and nipping.. and if i play frisebee and i go to throw it outside.. if i dont throw it right away he jumps up and one time he got my arm so bad that he literally ripped it open.. he doesnt take a treat gentle either..id like to teach him that.. hes very rough..and as big as he is is dangerous. lets say im in the living room with him and hes standing up on the computer desk...and i say off or leave it.. he will NOT get off because he knows i have to get up and go take him off.. he is like acting very stubbon lately... he flys up on the couch..maybe i should have ever let him on the couch until hes older adn more calm.. but he has no regard for someone sitting there.. like he will step on ur head in bed.. or ur neck.. this is alot but im trying to write whatever i could think..

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

Very good questions ill try and answer them all an maybe u can help me.. He has y backyard to run around in.. It's pretty big.. He nips if he is laying down and u go to pet him or rub his belly he whips his head around and starts play biting.. The moment he wakes up if u pet him nice in bed his mouth is like a magnet to my arm or hand.. If u try and tell him no or take him away from something he may nip.. We do throw toys for him around the house.. It's rare that he will drop it easily.. He brings the toy to my lap and starts chewing it on my lap and if I don't throw it or grab it he jumps up on my lap to put the toy like in my face.. He was head of the clad in obedience.. He knew all commands sit down stay paw at like 9 weeks old.. He sits and stays he rolls over.. I put a treat in front of him and say leave it and he does.. He is not food aggressive at all.. He is very smart.. But I guess he is stubborn too.. Please read my comment that I commented on the first person who commented my post and see what I have been doing to try and stop va behavior and let me know what u think I should do.. I'm desperate :(

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Very few dogs will run around by themselves in a yard, no matter how big it is. They need to be doing something, like retrieving a ball or jogging with you.

There's a saying that goes "Never touch a dog until he touches you", and it does help with some of the things you are describing. Don't give affection until he asks for it and then earns it. Same with playing. If he doesn't drop the toy, you don't throw it. Ignore him. Don't allow him to put the toy in your lap. take it and put it on the floor. If he puts it back in your lap, take the toy and put it away where he can't get it. If he starts to jump into your lap, stand up and walk away. You need to start making rules and enforcing them, because it sounds like he has decided that he's in charge, and he needs to learn that he is not in charge of anything. You own the toys and you decide when he plays with them and how. This may sound harsh, but your dog is in danger of losing his home in the future:  "this behavior is just not acceptable, as i cannot even have friends over the house. if i ever have a child he cannot be nipping and jumping like he is now" Yes, and that's how many dogs end up being given away. So either he gets a little tough love now, or he gets his whole world taken from him in a year or two.

Your boy needs a very structured, consistent training program now. I would look for a trainer who has a lot of experience with the "Nothing in Life is Free" training philosophy. This is not going to get better or go away on its own.

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

thank you! im glad u said this is solvable stuff..because i was starting to believe it would never stop.. lol.. i cant find my comment of things i have tried..but i tried yelping.. spray bottle with water.. bitter apple.. pressure on his lips with his teeth..can of coins.. a drop of hot sauce on my hands.. nothing works.. if u are just rubbing his belly hes nipping.. from the moment he wakes up.. i can put a treat in my hand and say leave it and he backs off..but if hes biting and i say leave it he wont.. i can put a treat on the floor in front of him and say leave it he wont touch it..when i come home he is in his crate and i say stay stay...and he wont come out until i release him.. but if like mymom or sister comes over he is flying in the air up at them and he can really knock them over.. i say "off" and yank him down by his collar...but he keeps flying up again.. i say sit ,, he is too crazed to sit.. i do obedience in the house with him.. and he is good because he is focused.. but if he looses it he starts jumping up and nipping.. and if i play frisebee and i go to throw it outside.. if i dont throw it right away he jumps up and one time he got my arm so bad that he literally ripped it open.. he doesnt take a treat gentle either..id like to teach him that.. hes very rough..and as big as he is is dangerous. lets say im in the living room with him and hes standing up on the computer desk...and i say off or leave it.. he will NOT get off because he knows i have to get up and go take him off.. he is like acting very stubbon lately... he flys up on the couch..maybe i should have ever let him on the couch until hes older adn more calm.. but he has no regard for someone sitting there.. like he will step on ur head in bed.. or ur neck.. this is alot but im trying to write whatever i could think.. this is basically whats been going on.. i will try the toy in the lap thing.. ur right he does think he is in charge he thinks he is a big boy.. lol and i appreciate u info because when he does shove a toy in my lap i take it from him and throw it..and sometimes its afight to get the toy.. and if i dont get it he jumps higher and more in my face.. i will try ignoring and things u mentioned.. any other tips for the biting?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I really think that he feels like he is in charge and can do what he wants.  Seven months is when this often rally begins to surface, and it's critical that you teach him that you are the one making the decisions, not him.  First of all, I assume he is neutered, right?  I would google the "nothing in life is free" program.  Basically the dog earns everything....food, affection, playtime.  I would not be petting him in his bed or when he first wakes up (especially if that's when he consistently decides to nip).  I would totally ignore him when he brings you toys in the house.  I'd make him earn that playtime.  You say he knows sit, down and stay.  Put him in a five minute down stay before he eats....before you throw that toy.  Just the fact that he jumps on your lap and puts the toy in your face says something about how he's viewing you as a leader.....I would never let him do that again.  Don't put yourself in that position, even if it means taking all of the toys and only giving them to him under supervision....with rules.  I know it sounds tough, but it is worth it in the end.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL, Jane, GMTA!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

That is a little frightening.....we were typing the same thing at the same time.

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

thank you i really appreciate this helpful info! he def things he is a big boy and he thinks hes my boss...and im the softy that feels bad and lets him run the house even tho other people on here are accusing me of "smashing his lips to his teeth", i wopuldnt even want to take a toy from him..let alone ever hurt my dog.

i will absolutly not let him shove toys on me anymore.. everything u told me is seriously very helpful.. please keep the tips coming!

see i feel bad if i make him sit and wait for food.. im always like ":aw hes a baby hes hungry" but i guess i need a little more "tough love"

this may sound stupid but how do i make him earn play time? by doing some commands?

[Adina P]

You say he knows all his commands. Does he also obey the 1st time you give a command and quickly even if someone just knocked on the door? If not, then he is far from done with obedience training.