Please Help! I Am Going To Cry!!

[greekblue]

I think I am going to cry!
What am I doing wrong!??

Niki was the sweetest puppy you could ever meet -- loved to give kisses and the first couple days she followed me around; she is housebroken (unless I do not get her signal), she can sit on command, she can understand "come" in English and in Greek (even though her "first language" is Russian, and she is learning "down" and "gentle" for biting.

AM I GOING TOO FAST AND I AM DRIVING MY PUPPY CRAZY!?

She gets pretty hot during the day and she will be sleeping all day (hates to go anywhere). During the night, she goes nuts! She bites non-stop (I have scars all over my hands and HURT!!). She will only stop on the yelp (if I sound like a dog).

You guys gave me some good advice on the puppy forum on that: I was doing most of the things there, and I added the rest that you adviced me, but they only help sometimes; when she is too crazy, nothing helps. She will leave her toy to bite me and she will drag my hand with her teeth like a toy! I have to try to open her mouth to get my hand out or yell really loud, so I can get her attention -- still most times, she will stop, bark, and start biting me all over again harder.

You can almost feel her desperation. The only thing that has surely work the couple times I used it is fighting her until she calms down. I have to pick her up, put her inside her crate, and hold her by the collar or by putting my hand against her chest and holding her inside the crate with the door open; I ordered her to sit down, and I do not let go until she obeys. When she stops fighting me and obeys my command, she is allowed to come out; then, she is all calm, and she falls asleep on the floor.

I do not want her to hate me, but I do not know what else to do.

Also, she used to follow me the first couple days; but now, I have to pick her up most times because she will not move even if I want her to come, or she will try to go towards my landlord's room -- not ours!

I do not do anything different than the first couple days; I give her lots of love and cuddling, we have play time in the room (but I cannot let her roll in the grass or play outside because she is not done with her shots). I have added a little more discipline, but it is not excessive and I combine it with the play time, so it does not seem harsh to her.

I do not want my dog to not like me, but I have no idea if I am doing something wrong (I followed your advice from the puppy forum also and she has tons of chew toys that I rotate, but she prefers to leave her toys and bite me or bark and scratch the door continuously if I leave because she played too hard). She is happy and greets my landlord happilly, but she is many times uninterest when I come in -- that is not the same puppy that followed me around, but I have not done anything different or too harsh.

Please, what is the problem?? Is it too early and I expect too much from her?? She is sooo young -- a baby -- but she is big and very strong!!

On the other hand, the last couple nights, she started coming to sleep next to my bed on the floor and I woke up during the night with her standing up and licking my hand. Is it normal that she goes sooo nuts, she runs towards the landlord's room, but she does not want to come to the one she sleeps in, and she hates going anywhere, but loves to just sleep all day on the floor? The vet told me she is perfectly healthy.

[Rivsky]

So you're mainly worried that she hates you because she doesn't follow you around anymore - is that right?

If so I personally wouldn't worry about it. To me that means she's settled in to her new home and is feeling secure enough to be able to spend time on her own and away from you just chilling out. Nothing to worry about at all IMO - in fact I think it's a good thing.

With the biting and stuff, again this is just my point of view, but I wouldn't be fighting her by holding her down. She's going to be a big dog when she's older and it won't take her long to realise when she's stronger than you are so she'll be able to beat you at your own game so to speak.

You say you followed the advice in the puppy forum - did you actually withdraw your attention from her when she goes crazy by standing up crossing your arms and turning your back on her? If so what happened when you did this?

[greekblue]

Hi Rivsky,
Yes, I did ignore her, and she went crazy worse! She tried to bite my legs harder! I left the room and she barked like crazy scraching the door and crying like if someone was killing her. When I think she settles, and I go back to the room, she runs and starts biting again like crazy! Only once, I went back into the room and she was sitting on the floor quietly! I knew BRTs will try to test you to the end, but I doubt I had really realized the truth of this. I think that is going on; Niki is trying to test and challenge every bit she can .

Yeah, I think that because she stopped following me or coming when I call her I might have done something to cause her to not want to, but I do not know what. However, sometimes, I think she trusts me a lot and likes me; when she has to do something that seems scary for first time (like jumbing a high step or something like it), she will stop look at me and back up; if I tell her, "it is ok, Niki, come! Go on!" Then, she will go on with whatever she has to do that might seem frightened. But if I want her to come with me outside, I have to pick her up because she does not want to come. I thought that puppies get to follow you or come when you call them as times go by and they get used to you, not when you first get them; with Niki is the other way around.

[LilacDragon]

She is BORED!.

When the sun is going down and it is starting to cool off - you need to take her out and play her out. Find a fenced in area so she can play, play, play yet stop and rest as she needs to - she is a puppy after all.

[LilacDragon]

Missed the part about her coming - sorry.

Personally, at this age I would never, ever use the word come. Come is one of those commands that is so important - I don't ever want my dog to think that it is an option. It it taught while the dog is on leash so that you can correct your dog if he/she is going to blow you off.

She is just a baby. There is soooo much in the world that she has to discover and sometimes those things are just more interesting then you are. Sorry.

[greekblue]

I want to take her out, but she does not have her shots yet, and they told me to becareful not to take her out; I do leave her in the front yard, but she eats any kind of flower grass come on her way and I keep taking them out of her mouth, so I do not know how safe that is for her. I do play with her a lot with the ball and she does like that; I am just afraid of the grass that she always trying to eat.

[greekblue]

Liladragon, do not be sorry;
Thank you and appreciate any help and opinions. I can see what you say; I am just afraid because she does not have all her shots yet, so I try to keep her inside unless we go out together and hold her. She goes out a lot, but I do not let her play because I do not know if she can get something.

Also, I am trying to play with her before she eats, but she does not want to; she goes nuts playing with me after she eats, and that is not good for her either because of bloating.

I will try to let her play in the front yard more.

[LilacDragon]

The age she is at now is very important for socialization. While I would avoid dog parks (now and forever) and other places where dogs are common - look around for some contained public areas that are not commonly thought of for doggy exercise. Like - your local high school tennis courts. Or football field. Just make sure that you clean up after her.

[greekblue]

I am taking her at my university -- she can come on campus with me; maybe there should be ok to let her play more -- even on a very long leash, so she feels more free, but still safe?

And I always clean after her; I carry with me doggy bags everywhere I go.

Thank you! I think you are right; that is most likely the problem. She needs to play more outside, not just inside the house.
Because other than that, she is a great dog, and I love her!

[LilacDragon]

Sounds perfect! She can meet lots of people and be doggy safe.

Don't forget - as soon as she gets those last shots, she needs to get into a puppy kindergarten class. That way, you can start socializing her with other dogs. This is very, very important for a dog of her size.

[greekblue]

Yes, she will be going soon; she is also going to be my assistance dog later, and she can come to class with me.

I already take her almost everywhere, but she does not get to play much because of the shots issue. I will let her play on campus; it is clean there and very few dogs -- if any go there.

Thank you.

[Kuchi]

She is totally fine to go on a walk, it just means no doggy contact yet. I would give her a walk in the morning and/or night. If doesn't follow you around, I think that's a good sign that she won't have separation anxiety.
I would stop carrying her. She will be way too big, too fast. She needs to learn to walk. Work on her coming when her name is called. Its best to do this on a leash so she won't run off and reward her once she does. I would also stop using, it's okay. When most people say this is sounds like you are making them okay to be afraid, when its not okay to be afraid. Have a treat bag with you all of the time, so she learns when does something, she will be rewarded.
I think exercise is more important then playing. Puppies can play for hours, but an hour walk will tire them out. I'm sure you've heard this, but a tired pup is a happy pup.

[TinyAlbinoDancer]

I agree that it sounds like she's going crazy (for want of exercize) rather than you. My dogs all get crazy at night because they lay around inside all day while it's hot, too. The Golden X I care for is the same; the more energy she has the more she bites and displays innapropriate behaviors like jumping. I'm with her right in the middle of the day so it's hard to exercise her, but I've started with a kiddie pool in the backyard so she can fetch, cool off, fetch, cool off, type deal.

I've had to catch myself with training her (she will be a therapy dog, similar to your's but not one-on-one) and remember that as a puppy her job is simply to learn about the world and how to function in it. This means learning appropriate behaviors before she gets bigger (sitting before going outside and before being pet, what she can chew on, etc.), rather than focusing on tricks or behaviors she won't need until later. Just enjoy life with Niki. Go about your daily life and show her how to be a part of it.

[greekblue]

Thanks,
I really want to walk her, and I know she does too, but I was so scared. I take her on campus or outside the restaurant I work (on patio), and hold her or put a mat on the floor, so she want get sick.

I thought that she cannot walk anywhere out of the house, and I was afraid that if I walk her around the sidewalk because other people walk their dogs also she might get sick. I also heard some people who were holding their pup inside the house and they were making their guests to take their shoes off, so their pup will not get sick until he got all his shots. I thought that I am still risking by taking her with me and holding her or let her sit next to me on the mat because sometimes she does come out of the mat and I put her back.

If it is ok to walk her on the sidewalk, I would do it; I really cannot wait for her to have all her shots done, so we can take walks together.

Also, Kuchi,
You are right about the word "it's ok". I have read that I am not supposed to say that, but it comes so natural that I always forget. I will try harder to stop it.

She also cries in her crate when I live; sometimes she will stay and you do not even know she is there, and other times she will cry.
I put in her crate water, a couple toys, a kong toy with her favorite treat of all -- yogart! (she goes nuts over it), the radio on, and one of my former slippers that now I used as one of her toys.
Anything else I can do, so she will not cry? My landlord once took her out of her crate without my permission because she was crying; Is not that worst because she is learning to get what she wants by barking / crying? I always wait until she stops whining and sits to take her out. She does not stay in her crate too long; the very maximum 4 hours when I am at work or class. She is fed and have gone potty before.

[Kuchi]

I think taking shoes off and laying a mat on the floor is going a little over board, she can get sick from other dogs, mostly from their feces. I wouldn't lay her down in dog poo. but she can frolick in the grass, run in your yard if you have one, go on a walk. Just don't let her go searching for dog poo. Even if you do run into someone else walking their dog, just pass them by and say, "sorry she's not fully vaccinated yet, they can meet when she is."

To stop crate crying, don't let her out when she's crying and that wasn't good for the landlord to let her out without your permission in the first place, but as long as the landlord knows to not do that in the future. Take her for a walk before you leave. For me walking solves a lot of issues. That way she is more focused on napping than you. She may have too much to do in there. I just leave water and a kong, but that's really up to you. The crate is a spot to sleep and rest. And crate her 10 minutes before you leave. That way she knows mommy is leaving soon I should settle and nap. Do not say anything to her or look at her when she's crying. That would be attention and that's what she wants. I know some of these things may seem mean, but she thinks like a dog and not like a child. To the dog it isn't mean for them to know that the crate is their den.