my puppy is a terror !!! helpppp

[Amanda & Maddie]

our four month old golden doodle has been nothing but a terror the past couple weeks! she is very energetic and outgoing which we love about her she has already been trained and very smart she seems to know right from wrong although she knows when she does something wrong she still tries to be the leader of the pack lately she's been biting more than usual not enough to break the skin but she gives this mean face when she's ready to bite after she is reprimanded as if she wants to bite to hurt us she can never be left alone and if she is we hear her screaming and crying and I mean literally screaming even if we walk out of our room that she's in she requires a lot of attention which is very stressful on everyone in our house when she's involved in everything we do seems to never be enough for her she tears are close apart bites her feet when were walking and always bites our hands if we try to pet her although she requires us to pet her and she's also just recently learned to go outside to go to the bathroom she rings the bell when she's ready lately she's been taking advantage of the bo she tears are close apart bites her feet when were walking and always bites our hands if we try to pet her although she requires us to pet her and she's also just recently learned to go outside to go to the bathroom she rings the bell when she's ready lately she's been taking advantage of the bell and just wants to sit outside and dig all day long every time we let her out she comes and covered in dirt we reprimand her and she just doesn't again!! she's becoming quite the handful and we don't know how to deal with her her biting is what scares me the most whenever she is yelled that or told now she snaps and give such an angry luck as she's biting I'm nervous to bring her around children although she is playful when she is around other people I'm afraid one day she's going to snap what do I do about this behavior !!! HELP

[Amanda & Maddie]

excuse the spellcheck errors hopefully you get the point :)

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Although I am sure it is not what you want to hear, that all sounds like normal puppy behavior to me.

She is getting a little older and more confident and is beginning to test your boundaries. Nipping is normal for puppies- try yelping, turning away from her, bitter apple spray, etc. When mine would nip, I would gently roll her lip under her tooth so each time she nipped at me, she also got herself. As far as separation, it sounds like you need to go back to the basics and ease her back into being left alone. You can tether her to a door and start by leaving the room for just a few seconds and coming right back. Gradually work your way up to leaving for a few minutes at a time. She just needs to learn that you will come back to her if she is left. It sounds like she is experiencing a lot of separation anxiety. EVERYONE who has done bell training for potty has experienced exactly what you are describing- it is a blessing and a curse lol. They start to learn that the door will open for play as well as potty. You will start to learn the difference between her mannerisms when she needs to go potty and when she just wants to go play. It does sound like she needs to be supervised outside. Not only is digging destructive, but it sounds like she is looking to explore her boundaries and that can end up being dangerous for her. A four month old puppy should not be left unsupervised outside, even with a fence. It is inconvenient, but it is part of having a puppy.

I would highly recommend finding a good trainer in your area and getting started with puppy classes. A lot of this behavior could be stemming from boredom and a need for her to release built up energy. Playing with toys, going on walks, playing fetch, and doing mini training sessions throughout the day with basic commands will really help tire her out. A tired puppy is a happy puppy! Good luck!

[Ginny Nightingale]

This is very hard to read--no punctuation is hard on my old eyes--but I agree that she has now entered her "teenage years"--she is NOT "trained" as training goes on for a lifetime of the dog.

Reprimanding a dog for something once means NOTHING--it takes many many times before it sinks in--if she is digging, you need to put her on a leash in the yard every time she goes out and walk her in a supervised manner and if she starts to dig, say NO DIG and reward her when she stops with a treat--this is just one example of the hard work ahead of you before she can be trusted--she is running the show right now because you are assuming she should know how to behave--sorry, but that is not the case. One reprimand is not going to do it. Especially when a dog is smart and knows how to get around you. Remember to reward her when she is good and to help her get to that good behavior by limiting her freedom.

And if she is screaming, you must ignore that--pretend you are deaf--hard but the only way to get it to end--and then if she stops, immediately say GOOD QUIET and give her a treat. 

This is just a tiny bit of information--get a good trainer and get to work before she gets much older.

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

All good advice Ginny. I just wanted to add - ear plugs work well at night if you can't turn the sound off. My husband had to wear them when I let Jade whine through a time (for about a week until she learned we weren't coming to get her in the middle of the nigh) when she thought she had to be with us.

[Carol and Banjo]

You can not possibly think your dog knows what you're talking about when he comes inside after having been outside digging "all day long".    Dogs are NOT human.   They do NOT have the ability to reason and understand what you are saying.     Honestly, after reading your post.....you need to hire a GOOD trainer to come in and instruct you and your family on how to train your dog.    It will be money well spent.    The "training" of any dog is an on-going process.   It never ends, the the rewards are so worth it.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I couldn't agree more....you need a good trainer who will help you to understand Maddie and how to best take care of her.  She is becoming a "handful" and you don't know how to deal with her....please get a trainer to help you before she's out of control and you are looking to rehome her.  She needs your leadership and to be taught HOW to behave.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Exactly, she doesn't need the trainer, you  need a trainer so that you know how to understand and deal with her.  I always say "I had no idea how dog stupid I was until I went to training".  

[Three Doodle Life]

Ginny is right. She's in her teenager period. It's all normal puppy stuff. Sign up for another training class and work on her training at home. Also, check out the Puppy Madness group:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/puppymadness

[Ona & Buster]

Wow!
Sounds like a puppy to me. But I will say that my boy was a hand full as well. We all ended up with holes in our shirts and the tips chewed off of our shoe laces. He is now 2 ½ and still, if he doesn't get a good solid hour to hour and a half of hard play and running everyday, in addition to his regular walks, he'll start taking shoes, bath towels out of the hamper, socks from the hamper and tissues from the wastebaskets. So with that being said she wants to play. And yes a good trainer will definately help. Oh and my boy still has separation anxiety.

Good luck.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

She is a puppy...plain and simple. I also wonder how much honest to goodness exercise she is getting, because it sounds like she needs LOTS more. Puppies are a lot of work and needs lots of attention. They are not good at entertaining themselves and will get into trouble when left to their own devices. Does she have chew toys? Distract her with a toy when she goes to bite you. Biting is so normal for puppies. It is a stage and will pass. Is she crate trained? Lots of times when puppies are being the naughtiest, they are tired and a time out in a crate can work wonders. Yelling is only going to amp your puppy up. Stay calm and be calm around your dog. She is just a baby and doesn't really have the ability to devise ways just to upset you. She needs to be taught CALMLY what you expect from her. I agree working with a trainer could really help. 

[Sally M]

Right now I think my puppy is rebelling. I blame it on the time of year--winter! Penny, at 7 months, is misbehaving in ways she never has thus far. Like any puppy, she's got a ton of energy. And she can't go outside much (thanks to ice, snow, rain, cold) so I think she's bored. She invents new things every day that get her into trouble. (I thought we were getting off a little too easy with her). My little lamb has turned into Cujo. Spring can't come soon enough. Teenaged puppies and winter is not a good combo.

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

When they can't go outside, you need to get creative inside with games, training, and such. Keep them intellectually stimulated.
Unless they are working outside, free play does not stimulate them enough. They need to work either on some training need, a good game of fetch, recalls, etc.