Need some advice "Again"

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

Hattie is a living doll and you all know how much I love her. With that said, I will also say she is a little headstrong. The problem comes when I take her off leash outside to let her run and get out some of that energy. She loves to get in the flower beds and dig. So when I go in to pick her up and take her out of them, many times she basically attacks me. She gets very angry and snarls and bites at me or simply runs from me. I usually just hold her by the collar and talk calmly to her and then take her directly in the house. But now it seems I can't let her off leash anymore because the first place she goes is in to dig. She has no interest in toys outside. I try to play fetch with her and she'll do it for two or three times then heads right back to the flower beds. What to do??? Am I correcting her appropriately? I would love to take her for walks but can't leave the yard yet.

[Kyoko]

I would keep her on the leash, or somehow make the flower beds not accessible. ( Or long leash - long enough to run around, but too short to reach the flower beds ) This way, she will not be set up for failure. If she can't get to it, she will not dig, therefore no need for correction. I think playing fetch is a great way to build the relationship, too!  If she is not very interested in playing fetch, but is food motivated, can you offer a kibble when she bring the toy back/ go get the toy? Charlie sometime get suckered into doing something if I make it sounds sooo much fun and excited!! LOL.

[Kyoko]

I wonder if she would stop nipping at you if you say "Ouch!!" in loud and high pitched voice? Or does she "attack" you only when she is stopped from digging the flower beds? If so, I say simply keep her away from the flower beds..... I never leave my dogs alone in the yard ( fenced in. why not? I don't know, I just never did...) so I never had to worry about them getting in the trouble in the yard.....

[Kyoko]

Hahaha!!! This phase should pass..... enjoy your baby.... :-)

 I remember that as a little puppy, Charlie got wild and  wound up when she was tired and sleepy, just like a little kid.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I completely agree.  Keep her on a long line for now and prevent her from getting into the flower beds.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Sandy, Your Hattie is settling in and in full puppy mode. Our Fudge had teeth like razors and could get so wild. I found with her when she was at her worst, she was often tired. If distracting her does not work, I would take her inside and time her out in her crate. Putting her on a long leash is also a good idea and allows you to keep her away from the flower bed. When my dogs were little and before we had a fenced in yard, I often took them to a nearby fenced in tennis court and let them run until they were tired. Hattie is just being a normal puppy and all this will pass.

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Remember you are the boss and you have to win this one.  If she gets angry, time her out in her crate.  It's kind of like "go to your room". I don't think she should ever be allowed to attack you so I would suggest you nip it in the bud and keep her away from the flower beds until she can be trusted.

[Julie and Maggie]

Sandy, I don't even have a dog yet so feel free to blow off anything I say. No offense taken. 

But Hattie sounds like she is enjoying herself and very interested in what she is doing. From a dog perspective I doubt it occurs to her that digging is a destructive action. How would she know that? And I don't think it is unusual for a puppy who is perfectly happy with this occupation to be a little miffed when you come to say that it is all done. It is a normal reaction, but one you want to teach a different response to. Don't let her response intimidate you. She doesn't mean it personally. She just wants what she wants when she wants it. Puppy mentality is all. She has two things to learn here: digging is no good, going with you when you say it is time is not optional. I'd personally go with teaching the latter first. You can always keep her away from the space later.

 

First thing sounds like you need to feel confident yourself. You are smarter and wiser than she is. You also can have all the patience until the cows come home in order to wait out for her compliance. I'll leave it up to the experienced Doodlers out here on what you should do specifically to get her to go in with you. Maybe you can stand calmly in front of her on her digging spot and get her attention. Maybe you can have something to present to her that is more interesting than digging. Something with a squeaking sound? A handful of kibble? Have her come to you for the more interesting thing, sit, and then reward. You would be rewarding her coming and sitting. 

 

Sounds like she isn't ready for off leash in this area of your yard yet. She's still really young. Maybe you need a baby step in this direction.

 

So that's my two cents, which is worth negative two cents because I have zero real time experience. I look forward to hearing others ideas and to watch how this works out for you. 

 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

This is where training is going to come in.  You are going to need rock solid Leave-its and drop it's and things along those lines.  Some of it is just puppy behavior and will go away, other parts will be much harder to control.  Our girls were awful the first summer with digging and eating sticks and things like that.  They aren't near as bad now, but I still have to keep an eye on them and stop any behavior that is unsatisfactory to me.  You might also take a look at the shrubs and plants in your landscaping because some can be poisonious to dogs.  If she starts chewing you need to make sure there arent any that can hurt her.  I agree with keeping her on a long leash.  I also agree with the time outs for temper tantrums.  You must be the alpha particularly if you think she is going to be a headstrong puppy.  Be consistant.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Fudge hardly ever dug up anything and then we got Vern. He loves to dig and just the other day, laid right down in a row of bushes my DH had planted. Our yard is never going to look the same. He walks right over plants, flowers..like he does not see them. We say, "leave it" if he is digging and if I have to, I go over and make him stop consistently.

Yes, she will be able to play outside. Fudge and Vern are the first dogs I did not let off leash ever as puppies. Fudge is a stinker too and has a mind of her own and I kept her on a leash for that reason.

Go to the puppy group and you will see how normal it is to have a puppy get wild and angry. It is a stage and you just need to let her know that it will not work. Stay calm and put her in her crate for time out if it continues. I bet she is over tired.

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

Haley loved to dig as a puppy.  Fortunately it was in unplanted parts of the veggie garden.  We tried to discourage it and at 2.5 years he seems to have grown out of it.  He has free run of the yard when we are outside.

As for the "fetch".  Haley liked to chase a ball or Frisbee but would lay down and chew on it and not bring it back.  I worked with him using treats if he brought it back.  Now he retrieves without treats and is obsessed  with retrieving.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Get a long leash and that will really help.  Gracie had a 25-30 foot leash that we bought from our trainer but I have seen them at PetCo.  Until Gracie could be trusted and come when called, we used the long leash all the time outside.  And yes, they go crazy wild just before they crash for a long sleep!

[F, Calla & Luca]

exactly, they get overtired and need an enforced rest. I'd keep Hattie on a leash and not give her nipping opportunities. If necessary grab her by the collar so she can't nip.