New Whippet x Greyhound Puppy

[pollypurple]

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Hi everyone,

I've just got a new puppy, Leo. He is 14 weeks and beautifully natured.... until he does something wrong and needs a wee telling off. Its mainly for nipping me and my daughter. He has had a few accidents and i just try to take him to his puppy pad or out in garden but he barks run and tries to bite.

When he nips i shout or try to hold his nose and say no biting but he just bites more and if I put him in his crate he whines the place down.

Any advice on best ways to discipline?

Many thanks x

 

[JoanneF]

When he nips i shout or try to hold his nose and say no biting but he just bites more and if I put him in his crate he whines the place down.

You may be ramping up the excitement or at risk of hurting him which will damage the bond you are trying to create. Puppies bite. It's the way they played with their littermates and they have to learn it's not the way we play. If he starts mouthing, try putting a toy in his mouth. That may work, but doesn't with all puppies. So if it doesn't work with him, an alternative is to turn and stand very still with your back to him. Teach the family to play 'statues'. Or leave the room. He will learn that mouthing means the end of play.

Toilet training - this happens when two things come together - the ABILITY to hold the toilet, along with the DESIRE to hold it in order to earn the reward for doing so.

Ideally you want him to not be in a position where he needs to toilet before you have him outdoors, so that every toilet is outside - as far as possible, there will be accidents! So set him up to succeed by taking him out even more than he needs; for example every 45 minutes to an hour and always after sleeping, eating, playing. When he toilets outdoors make a huge fuss (never mind the neighbours, act like outdoor toileting is the best thing you have ever seen) and reward him with a high value treat. Do that immediately, don't make him come to you for the treat so he is clear that it's for toileting and not for coming to you. The idea is that he eventually wants to earn the treat enough to hold the toilet until he is outside - once he is physically able to control his toileting obviously. If he has an accident inside don't react at all. If you get annoyed he may learn to fear your reaction and avoid you if he needs to toilet - the opposite of what you want. As he is actually performing the toilet you can introduce words he can associate with it (like 'do weewee' and 'busy busy') that later when he is reliably trained you can use these to tell him when you want him to toilet.

Indoors if you see him circling or scratching the floor, that can sometimes precede toileting so get him out fast.

Overnight he is unlikely to be able to control his toilet as his little bladder and bowel are underdeveloped and not strong enough to hold all night so set your alarm to take him out at least once if not twice during the night.

I really don't like puppy pads - they give mixed messages about whether it's ok to toilet indoors and confuse the puppy. So I suggest getting rid of them and creating a routine of regular visits to the garden.

 

[pollypurple]

Thank you that advice is invaluable! I will definitely practice all aspects.