Some puppy troubles...

[HunterXHunter]

Hi everyone,

I have a 5 month old male golden who is normally very good and obedient, but there are some things that I just can't figure out how to fix/solve, so I was hoping if anybody has had similar problems and can give me some advice.

1) Hunter is normally very well behaved, except when he gets too excited playing with me: he will constally (playfully) bite my hand/arm. While it generally leaves only minor scratch marks, he does sometime bite a little bit too hard and draws blood. I always tell him "No" and stuff but he doesn't seem to listen once he gets really into it. This only happens with me, as he listens to my dad when my dad tells him "No". It appears that he views me as his equal in the dominance hierarchy whenever we play

2) Hunter is deathly afraid of showers. He's always trying to climb out of the bath tub and it requires my girlfriend and I to kind of hold him and constantly reassuring him that things are ok. He also won't shake himself dry while he is still in the bath tub. He has to climb out of it first then shake

I've recently registered Hunter in obedience classes (just waiting for the reply now), but in the meantime I want to solve these problems quickly otherwise it will grow along with his size.

I appreciate your help

[Prin]

#2 is an easy one. The tub for a dog creates very unstable footing. If he shook in the tub, he'd most likely fall, so he doesn't. Have you ever fallen in the tub? It hurts.

#1 I think the best thing for this is for you to take an obedience course with your dog. It will teach you to be assertive and to use the right tone and body language to get respect from your doggy.

Definitely completely stop the game as soon as he starts biting.

[papillonmama]

#2, try not to wash his head until the very end.Their ears are sensitive and they will get upset if you get them wet, I leave them to the end and use a washcloth and small cupfuls of water instead of pouring water directly on the head.

#1, there are lots of threads on this issue. Sometimes when you feed him can help him understand the hierarchy. I always wait until myself and the kids have eaten before giving the dog any food, and (when our dogs were younger) I would preapre the food on the counter pretending to eat it myself, then I would give it to them. Also if you get him to do something before he gets his meal, just a quick sit can make all the difference.

I agree with Prin, stopping the play right away is important, maybe saying a sharp, "Ouch!" will help, then leave until Hunter has calmed down.
Obedience classes are great, they help teach owners and dogs and the pup gets socialization too.

[divinecalamity]

a suggestion with the tub issue, maybe you could have him climb in failry often giving him a treat everytime, with no water on or in it, make a big fuss about it and hopefully your pup will get used to it...or more "ok" with it. the mat is a good idea too that way your pup won't slip.

[mona_b]

#1...As soon as he starts the biting,and I mean the first time,correct him right away,even turn around and walk away.This way the games over and YOU won.....

When your playing with him,are you using your hands,roughing him up a bit?..If so I would stop this type of playing..This is one type of play I never did when my dogs where pups...At least untill the "NO" was understood..

Instead of using your hands,use a toy instead....

#2..When you mean showers,you mean the "shower"..I know,that was a dumb question.LOL

Maybe what you can do is instead of having the shower on(which can be a bit frightening for them)get one of the hand held ones.Or have the stopper in,as the water is filling up,use a bucket of some type to pour over him.But I would definately have a mat at the bottom of the tub.

[JanM]

I have 2 Goldens - my boy is 1 1/2 yrs and the little girl is just 5 1/2 months - on #1 what I've done is, on the first "bite", I say "ouch" - the tone is dependant on the strength of the bite - and I quit playing immediately. This has worked well with the older one and seems to be working well with the youngest too. Bobby, the oldest, is now a certified Therapy Dog..

Good luck with your training - GOldens are wonderful!

[HunterXHunter]

Thanks you all for your advice. I'm implementing them now and it's slowly showing some progress (for #2). I plan to go shopping for some of those non-slip bathtub thingys this weekend, and hopefully those will help with #1.

[doggy lover]

Buy a large bath mat, so that he can stand on it . The little stick on things are not good enough. It will also protect the bath from getting scratched by his nails. Pull the mat up after his bath to let it dry or it will go mouldy.

With the biteing I have always used the ouch, and stopped play after that, also I use with my BC no teeth,we playfight with him but when he starts using teeth he is warned no teeth and if done again play ends.

[Hunter's_owner]

Hello to a fellow owner of a Hunter...

For the biting and dominance thing, I was told by an obedience class, to roll them over on their back and hold them for a little while. Preferably until they stop fighting and wiggling, but this may not happen .

My Hunter is now 4 (5 in March), and I found this to be the most helpful piece of advice that I was given, but I also used it with saying "ouch" and with walking away.

Hope this helps

[doggy lover]

I have always been told never to roll a dominant dog, gee where is your face? Right in line for a bite. I'm sure that most people here will tell you that is a no no. Hopefully Tenderfoot will come alnog and explain exactly why not to do it.