Help with 8 month old Doodle Puppy!!!

[Diane Denney]

Hi everyone. I'm new to this group and have had my Doodle since he was 4 months old. He'll be 8 months on 10/28/2009. I'm having some issues and wondered if someone could point me in the right direction. Here is a list of issues I am having:

1-He is extremely mouthy, but not as bad as he was when we first got him. He will bite our clothes and run then hope we chase him as he knows biting is not allowed. I have been stern about this type of behavior. When he gets overly excitied it's at it's worse. I have to approach with caution while I'm outside with him as he starts to jump bite, and pull at my clothes, and his bites hurt!!! I tell him no bite and then leave him alone if I can get away unscathed that is. Inside the house he knows he doesn't have much chance as he's either gated or crated in the kitchen. If he starts the biting routine he goes in a time out in his crate consistantly.

2-Counter surfing and stealing. He steals cat food lids. Paper towel if you leave one down it dissappears. I had to put all medications into tupperware even though they were in a drawer on the couter as he ended up with my Allegra one night. He has also chewed our wall which my other dog did as a puppy so that I'm not so surprized about. Trying to get the items back from him is just a game that I don't play. I usually trade the item for a treat. The room is pretty much puppy proof.
3-Having trouble integrating him with my older dog as he is so rambuncious although my older dog seems to be the instigator as well. I guess he's jealous. How do I make these two dogs stop roughhousing in the house. They are both way too big to play inside without causing major damage to me or my stuff!!! They always rough house every time without fail. My older dog who is 6 likes to play, but the Doodle plays really rough. I usually don't let him free roam. He's either tethered or very supervised sometimes with a lead on sometimes without a lead. When it gets out of hand I put him back in the kitchen. I'm being held hostage in my kitchen!!!
4-He is mounting me and my other dog. I know this has to do with dominance. I don't let him do it. I take him and put him back in the kitchen or tell him off if it's me.
5-Growls at things he's frustrated at, and barks at dogs that bark at him first. Doesn't bark too too much only if there are people while he's outside or strange sounds.

This dog was in a pet store, and probably a puppy mil before that until he was almost 4 months so he was not socialized well except for the customers who came in to look at him.

I have brought him to basic puppy training and he's very smart. He sits, downs, stays, comes, stands, and waits very well.
I bring him to puppy day care and I asked them to give me a report and they tell me he plays well with others.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Diane Denney]

Forgot to add that one day I found him on the kitchen floor with my Nebelung cat in his mouth. He did not hurt him thankfully. We are really practicing the command leave it which he knows well, but not always decides to obey!!!

[Adina P]

Quick answer: Finish his training =) Once that's done (so that he'll come, sit, down, stay, heel under real life distractions...) a lot will solve itself. That's my answer to everything. Train, train, train and then use what he knows to help him find something to do besides the problem behavior. I'm sure you'll get lots of specific advice on each point, lots of folks who've dealt with are dealing with some of that stuff... GOOD LUCK!

[Adrianne Matzkin]

This is exactly what DK is here for - you will get a lot of advice and you have decide what will work for you!
Welcome to puppyhood! I am NO expert - just a Mom with 2 Doodles.
I think a lot of it is pent up energy! Do you have a dog park near by? Do you run (I don't so I rely on the park). He needs somehow to run out that energy. If he was more tired, he might be inclined to listen to you.
Are you still taking obedience classes? Training NEVER ends. I would continue with classes. As they get into the higher classes, the distractions that you will work with are the other dogs. It will give you a way to work with him with other dogs arounnd and have a trainer there who can see some of these behaviors and give you suggestions to help.
My younger Doodle,Charli who is 5 months old, has started mounting Samantha(20 months old) - both a girls. Charli, being from an Amish PM who I adopted through a rescue, was spayed when she was 9 weeks so it is definitely a dominance issue. Samantha totally ignores that behavior but I stop it.
The both do the wrestling game. When they start it inside, I send them outside. I don't allow it inside. I let them go at it unless it gets too rough.
Counter surfing - have you tried putting cookie sheets just over the edge of the counter so if he gets up there, he knocks them off, makes a loud crash that HE does. Works with lots of dogs but not all.
At this point I would do the class training and invest in a private trainer. You have to interview them. If you like, I could ask a professional trainer friend of mine what she suggests the questions should be.
Good luck -

[Diane Denney]

Thanks everyone!!! Lincoln is really quite sweet, but really rambuncious. He does have a ton of energy he needs to burn off. That's why I send him to doggy day care twice a week so that he can socialize, and have fun while I go to work!!! It's just up the road so it's convenient. He comes back so dirty though. The grooming thing is new for me too, and I can't believe how dirtly these dogs get!!! My Doodle is beige, white, with reddish tips around the ears, eyes, and bottoms of his feet. I really don't know what level he belongs in for training. I thought he'd do well at agility too. Do you have to do both training and agility or can you do one or the other? BTW how do we quick reply? I didn't see an icon for that. Thanks again!!!

[Adina P]

Diane, if he's only had puppy kindergarten or puppy class...he needs to start with BASIC obedience and then just work up through intermediate, advanced and whatever other levels you have. Personally, I wouldn't do agility until he was extremely responsive to commands (not just at home but most places you go with him) and he had an excellent recall. Agility is a specific type of training...heck everything is training, but from what I hear agility requires a bit of letting loose while still under your direction. It seems like accepting your direction and having self control should come first. Though I've never done agility so I could be off on this. We do have a group on this site for those interested in agility.

What do you mean by "quick reply"?

[F, Calla & Luca]

First let me recommend the group The Doodle Whisperer where your issues are addressed. I had the same nipping and jumping problem with Luca when I took him out at night when he was a puppy. I learned to take him out on a leash and that I could control him that way. After a relatively short time he learned that he behaved or he went back in and into his crate. Soon we could go out with him off the leash but I gave him too much freedom early on. Both my dogs will take paper towels or tissues if they are on the floor, so I try not to leave any there. I'd probably try to get the dogs tired by letting them rough house outside. But if he roughhouses inside a leash, crate or confined space sounds like a good idea. He will calm down with consistency, time and maturation. Good luck.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Your puppy is 8 months old, but really hes a lot younger as he was in the pet store alone for so long. Imagine he is only 4 months old... as this is the amount of time you have had him. With time and training I think you and he will be fine! Theres lots of good advice on here. You are off to a good start. :)

[2m42srv7vi6sq]

I think I can help with the biting thing. If you screech like a wounded mouse, EVERY time he mouths and make a big deal over it. He will stop biting after a few times.

The jumping is solved by training him to jump up on you, on command and NEVER give the command, this works for barking too.

Karen Pryor clicker training was heaven sent, for me, when ours were that age!

[Diane Denney]

@Adina-Never mind about the Quick reply question. I misinterpreted one of the responses. Some website have a quick reply, but I don't think it applys here. Thanks.

Wow what great advice from everyone. I'm so glad I've come here!!!

I have tried the scream ouch when he bites, but that one didn't seem to have much affect. He is the dickens!!! lol He does things very intentionally to get your attention!!! He likes to make a game out of everything almost!!!! He is a real ham, and a clown.

BTW he has the poodle stance (back legs forward when standing). Does anyone elses Doodle do that? I will post a pick soon, but I don't have a very recent one so I guess I should start snapping some photos!!

@Adina - Thanks I will enroll him in basic obedience then, and move on up the line. He is very good at waiting or staying on command. When I walk both my dogs I make them wait at the door before we leave and when we come back in, and he sits there very patiently and doesn't move until I say it's okay to come in. He definitely needs more manners!!! lol

[GatorGirl]

Just wanted to add that we went through a lot of the same issues with Cooper, who will be 2 in December. We had a lot of torn clothes, and scratches/cuts on my young girls when he was a puppy. All I can say is that he outgrew all of the issues (except for the counter-surfing--he's just a mooch and always on the lookout for crumbs!), but he did very much settle down as he got older. I'd say by age 1, he was quite mellow. We can take him anywhere now and he's the most well-behaved guy around. We did do a puppy school with him, but that was more about learning commands and overall handling than it was tempering the mouthiness and hyperactivity. He settled down very nicely, but I remember being at the end of my rope somedays, especially when he'd tear a brand-new pair of pants, etc. Hang in there!

[Diane Denney]

GatorGirl I'm so glad you posted. I have read similar stories, but that when they turn a year things really calm down. I keep holding on to that!!! He tore my favorite T Shirt, my husbands favorite running shorts, and quite a few other items. He nearly (accidently) knocked me out cold the other day while outside as he was behaving so badly. I bent down to pick up something and he reared up and clocked me one in the eye socket. I had a black I for a week and 1/2!!! We haven't had any torn clothes in while, but he still goes for my housecoat belt, and anything that's lose. He knows he's not suppose to now, but as I mentioned now it's a game as he'll come up to you grab at you, and then make a mad dash, and he just hopes you chase him!!!! If you don't give chase he trys again. When he gets to worked up I put him in a time out!!! I can not believe the smarts these guys have!!! Another question. Does anybody have a Doodle that growls at things (like in frustration). When he sees something he wants or can't get at it he'll bark or growl at it!!!!

[Melissa & Porter]

Yes, Porter is so quiet except for in three situations:
1) he growls or barks when something he is playing with rolls under the furniture
2) he growls when he is chasing other dogs--totally playful though--just talking, I try to explain to people
3) he chuffs and barks at people who come near the house at night (only at night for the most part)

Good luck. Porter is 11 mos. He acts like you describe on days when he has not been out to play with my neighbors' dogs enough.