Puppy or Doodle ADD?

[carolyn fornell]

     I have been reluctant to pose this for fear it is MY problem. Glory went to a puppy obedience class when he wa s about 5 mo. old. I was so cocky-- he had all this stuff down cold, especially after all those books I read that Dixie reccommended. Iwas so wrong- he was horrible- he couldn't focus, treats had no effect -- all he wanted to do was play, pull, run. The instructor suggested that it was all that "high ptotein" dog food, maybe I should wait until he was older, and he was not invited to attend more classes. I was in tears after all 4 classes and no improvement. We worked diligently and happily at home and he was a star. So smart! I worked with a private trainer and all was well.  He started at doggie-day care and of course he was bonkers. He loves everyone there and gets along well with everybody and they love him. He eventually calms down. We are goiing to try again in April and I am not looking forward to it. If  I have t

o  keep him at home with me and out of situations with people and dogs -- I will, but not happily. HELP

Carolyn and the wonderful Glory.!

[Adina P]

Carolyn,

First, DO NOT worry.  His behavior in class DOES NOT mean you'll have to keep him at home and away from other dogs and people. He sounds like a normal, excitable puppy.  And I'm a bit shocked that your trainer dared to blame his food rather than give you solutions or tips on how to improve his behavior in class. 

 

What you need to know is that what a dog learns AT HOME (where there is virtually nothing distracting or interesting) is not going to be generalized to the outside world UNTIL you practice some of this stuff in the outside world.  In other words, you can work your and your doodle's booty off daily and have amazing obedience at home, but it means little when distractions present themselves.  And going from a 'boring' house to a class full of other dogs and smells and people and FUN is like going from zero to 60 mph in 2 seconds.  It's a huge jump in level of distraction.  I'm just surprised that your trainer gave you NO credit and didn't want you back.  Amazed, actually.  That's the trainer's job to help you succeed and teach you what to do in those situations.  It's not like people just 'know' this stuff any more than the dogs do.

 

Anyway, I recommend finding a new trainer who can teach you HOW to get a puppy to be as obedient in public as at home. It takes a lot of work, and gradually adding distractions and knowing what to do when puppy essentially loses focus.  When you're asking too much, when you need to correct the dog, when you need to add in more distraction, etc. 

 

So don't worry about your dog.  Glory is YOUNG and distractable.  With practice and appropriate techniques, she will learn to obey and be controllable in public.

[carolyn fornell]

We do work outside with animals, sounds, and lord forbid, a schoolbus on the road! Sometimes he will take a treat and focus for a second. The gentle leader helps alot with long walks and in the dog park but carries over very little.

[Adina P]

If there is a dog park near you, maybe do some training sessions outside of the park.  That should provide lots of doggy distractions.  Work as far away from the fence as needed to keep her focus and then gradually (over the course of days or weeks) move in a bit closer each time.  Of course as dogs get more rowdy CLOSE to the fence the distraction will be bigger.  Part of it is his age...part of it might be how you implement the techniques...part of it may be needing a different method of approaching the training.  What does your private trainer say about his difficulty behaving in class?

[Cheryl & Matey & Checkers]

Oh, Carolyn I am sure that you are very anxious about this but don't worry. I think that you made the right choice to do doggie-day care. You want your dog to be more relaxed around other dogs. The only way to accomplish this is practice.I  How long did he stay in day care? How old is Glory? If he is still a young dog he will have a lot of energy. My Matey is 4 years old and is still a bouncy, happy guy to see his dog friends. They have a great time wrestlng and running. Perhaps Glory has lots of energy and needs a full day of doggy day care to give him time to come down from his excited stage to more of a "just hanging around" with the other dogs. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Matey eats a raw diet too and it has nothing to do with his occasional bounciness!

[Carol McCasland]

Be patient! I think you have a normal pup! My Cody is nearly 3, is very obedient at home (well, except for the counter surfing). ;But when he gets around other people and dogs, he is so excited that he just can't help himself! this is a major people dog! We'll, I'd rather have him be so social than the other way: afraid, aggressive, etc. He goes to doggy day care once a week, plays well with others, is trying so hard to not jump on people! I take him everywhere I can: to Home Depot, Lowes, where dogs are allowed. . I remind people that they are not to pet him if he's jumping. He knows what he's supposed to do, and is slowly improving. You might try different treats to see if there is something that really gets his attention. Cody loves the ones that are in the 'sausage' tube. Good luck, and don't be intimidated by that loser trainer.

[carolyn fornell]

Glory goes to day-care 2-3 times  a week , usually when I am working. It is a series of play like mad, then sleep. He is not food motivated, and is now 10 mo. old. There just semms like there is nothing I can do to make him stop and focus. When people come to the house, I have to remove him; I may try teathering him as suggested. It is just a constant struggle. Things should get better when we can work outside more. Pa is still quite chilly. Thanks, all.

[Beth Lord]

I just have to join in with the others and encourage you, Carolyn!  I know this is terribly frustrating.  I too am shocked that a trainer would "disinvite" a puppy who isn't dangerous or mean, just a little overactive!  You're doing the right thing to get a different trainer.  You need someone who will be your coach and advocate, not a discourager!

 

The 1st service dog I raised sounds so much like your Glory, I just had to chime in.  He was a lab with MAJOR dog distraction.  Like you, I was proud of my pup and he worked perfectly for me when it was just us.  But bring another dog within roughly a quarter mile, and I could hardly get him to acknowledge me!  At the dog park he had no recall, literally none!  The short story is:  he overcame it and became a really outstanding guide dog.  What it took was an immense amount of work and patience, and plus of course my trainers and me really believing that he COULD do it. 

 

The exercise that helped us most was to get an "accomplice" with a VERY WELL BEHAVED, mellow dog.  This person just had to stand with her dog in the sidewalk.  I would approach with my dog -- usually, as soon as we came around the corner and saw the other dog, mine went nuts and started to pull and whine.  When he did this, we stopped and I had him "sit."  That took a while to accomplish usually!  When my dog was sitting calmly, I would reward him by allowing him to walk toward the other dog.  The moment he acted up, we'd sit again.  It took a long time, but eventually he got the idea that behaving nicely got him what he wanted, and going bonkers didn't get him anything.  It helps if you  and your friend remain super calm during it all, too, because if you're anxious your dog just picks up on that and gets more wired.  I'd stand there making jokes with my friend about how many hours it would take me to reach her, lol!!

 

That's just one idea -- your trainer will have more -- hang in there!!  You guys will do great, and we're pulling for you.  :)

[Christine & Shelby]

Carolyn.... don't give up hope!   I agree with many other's that I would start to look for a new trainer.   When I first enrolled Shelby in her Puppy Kindergarten class at about 4 months - all she wanted to do was play - after all... every other time she was around dogs (a puppy socialization class) she got to play.  It took her 4-5 weeks to realize that she was "at school" and this was not the time to play... although we always had a bit of play time at the end of class.    Shelby is also incredibly social - and very, Very, VERY active!   She is high energy and loves to show it and share her excitement with others.  Do not give up hope.  Sounds as though Glory is very smart and quick to learn.  She just has to learn when it's school time and when it's play time. 

 

I did notice that I had to have extra special treats to gain her focus in class.  I used (as per my trainers recommendation) sliced chicken deli meat - and she loved it.  She only got it in class... at home, we would use normal treats.  So she worked extra hard on focusing so she could have the super tasty treat.

 

Just for perspective... Shelby is one year... and almost 5 months - and she is still very active and energetic.  It is a challenge for me to keep her exercised enough to keep her energy level in check.  She does play care twice a week - we walk between 2 and 5 miles a day, she has playdates throughout the week... and we play a lot of fetch!   She is a bundle of energy and while it can be exhausting, I am enjoying it and it keeps me active too!

 

Hang in there.... it's going to work out just fine!

[carolyn fornell]

Thanks so much to Carol and Cody and Christine and Shelby for a different perspective on Puppy or ADD. You are right, Glory is a wonderful,bright and happy little boy! Yes he is energetic, ( I know about fetch inside!) but   he loves everyone and everything with pure abandon, and is so curious, loving and sweet. Naturally, we want everyone to see what we see in our doodles-the best!  Thanks for the tip about deli chicken- hot dogs were too rich and salty, although he loves them. He is not food motivated but this might work. We start again with school soon- wish me luck! Pa. is still cold, so outdoor activities are tough- but I hear spring has come. Thanks,again,

[Lucy, Mila & Issy]

They also love cheese and liverwurst! My trainer calls them "high value" foods. You're both doing just fine, by the way. Just keep at it and know that Glory will outgrow this stage -- and you might even miss it a little... ;^)

As I tell strangers, when my girls jump on them in the park, "They have no manners but...they're full of LOVE!"

[Carol McCasland]

I'll add my 2 bits to Christine & Shelby!  My Cody is almost 3 (in May), and is just now slowing down a bit, at least able to stay at home unsupervised for about 7 hours at a time.  But he is still a bundle of energy, we walk about 2 miles a day at least, play catch ad nauseum, even in the living room while I am watching TV at night.  He still doesn't walk to heel, still is prone to jump on people in greeting.  BUT he's the sweetest, smartest dog ever!  Doesn't have a mean bone in his body, is curious about everything, sleeps by my side at night, and in the morning comes over and lays his head on my chest.  This is what a labradoodle is all about:  unconditional love and energy and play!  I wouldn't have it any other way.  Yes, he could be better behaved, but when he greets me when I come home with hugs, it's all that I care about.  Keep working on the training, but enjoy your pup in the meantime!

[carolyn fornell]

I think you have said it all in a nutshell and put things in perspective. Glory is all those things tthat Cody is, and you're right, I'll just relax and enjoy him more!!!