I think I'm about to loss all sainity w/ the boys..

[BuddysMom]

I've about lost all paitence with them. I need LOTS of advice esp reguarding our new addition

Starting off with the minor issue, the back yard. There is a corner of our backyard, by the house/storage unit, that flooded with water when it rained, so we put drainage rocks from Lowes in that corner. They also like digging, in that corner. They arn't digging there anymore, because of the rocks, but over near one of the fence posts [its like a 7ft privacy fence]. Is there anything to detter them from doing that, I never catch them so I can't really redirect the behavior, and them understand why.

Along with that, Braxton is being a brat!! Yesterday, they each had a rawhide bone. Braxton went and took Buddy's out of his mouth and BUddy got upset, which I can't blame him. I let them wrestle it out for awhile, before getting involved [since I think they are stilll testing whos more dominate, whatever]. Buddy gave up, and Braxton chewed the end off and he normally will play by himself [he's a very smart dog!], he'll throw a tennis ball up in the air and catch it, well he started throwing that end at buddy. So I grabed it from him, to try to get him to engage in something besides beating up Buddy. Since I was trying to get them to calm down, after playing. No such luck. I know he's a puppy still, but that can't continue to remain an excuse.

Also, Braxton must me hard of hearing or something...because you have to almost instill fear into him before he listens. To get him to simply sit is like a nightmare. I've worked with him alone and with Buddy its not helping. I trained Buddy, and he's very obedient etc, listens the first time, etc. But Braxton I don't know. I am not the kind of person to instill fear for him to listen. Its not th at worthwhile to me, and it doesn't seem normal. But I stop when I get fustrated, because I do'nt want to snap on him, or him get the wrong idea. Training for him just seems impossible, at times and i'm getting so fustrated. I just want him to sit when asked not fight about it with him!

Also, he is soooo poorly socialized. I don't even know where to begin to help fix that. By the time I get home from work in the evening, its 9 o'clock and nobody else is out walking dogs, and when I leave at 10 o'clock ish everybody has already walked there dogs. Braxton is VERY protective, which of course is a good thing, I want to know that the house is protected while we arn't here, and God forbid a stranger broken in he'd protect us, or at least try to, but a dog walked by [our nieghbors behinds us [in another nieghborhood] there dog got loss and Braxton heard it, and his hair went up he was growling, and barking, etc. He saw a dog when I was walking him outside once at about 6 o'clock on my day off, and he about had a heart attack when he saw another dog. Honestly its embarassing that he can't behave right, how can he be so out of control. I don't know how my mom never socialized him, but its driving me CRAZY!!!!

Any advice for these hard headed doggies? I just want to have a peaceful eveningjust once without them trying to see who gets to be the favorite. Buddy is doing REALLY good not being the only dog, but Braxton just I don't know.

[Carrie]

Well, this is why I never recommend getting two puppies at once. It's extremely difficult. One puppy is extremely difficult. The only thing you can do about the digging is supervise them. They're too young and uneducated to leave loose anywhere for any amount of time without supervision. There is no way to train a dog not to dig if you're not there to do it.

I suggest giving a boxed off area (2x 6's filled with dirt or sand) and show them that that is where they can dig. Put some toys or treats in there and encourage them to dig and praise them for that. Distract and remove them from the area you don't want them to dig. Every single time they dig there, they're being self rewarded because they like doing it. It's fun and that reinforces that behavior, makes them repeat the behavior because they're getting a huge payoff. Yelling, scolding, whatever isn't as bad as the payoff is good. And to make it bad enough, you'd be abusing the dogs. In other words, it's worth it to them to dig. There isn't a lot that they can find on their own that doesn't make it worth it. You have to be there to intercept and stop that behavior and redirect it to a behavior you want, such as digging in the special boxed off place.

Remove toys that they both value highly if they're fighting over them. Don't let them have those things at all while they're together.

Each dog needs a lot of one on one time with you. I'd seperate them a lot of the time while you're trying to work on training. There's no way to train one while the other is around....not at this time.

Braxton needs to learn some respect for you. That is why he's not listening. He doesn't know that he should be listening. This comes from training. First off, don't give ANY command that you can't enforce. This is why he's learning that he doesn't have to listen, that commands mean nothing. Make training fun and rewarding for him, but work with him every day two or three short sessions by himself....basic obedience. Before he gets to go outside, before dinner is given, before toys or treats, ask for a sit and for him to watch you. Teach "watch me." Get him in the habit of looking at you when you ask. This takes lots of work....holding a treat and moving it up by your face, saying, "watch me." When he does, praise and treat. Gradually make the time he has to look at you a little longer. Work each dog seperately on basic obedience. Be sure they're getting plenty of running exercise to tire them out and the mental exercise of obedience training will also help their minds to be stimulated, interested and busy.....squeezing out the "naughty" behavior. There's only so much brain space. Fill it up with the stuff you want them to be thinking about.

How old are they? For the socialization, that should have been going on all along, but I'd try to get him around people more now. (I can't suggest anything about the time of night you take your walk. You'd have to make it a point to get the dog around people somehow and as often as possible) If he's having a fit when he sees someone, desensatizing (from a distance) and treating when calm. Then when he can be close to someone and when he IS calm, ask them to give him a treat or toss one over to him. Talk in a friendly way to people so he sees that they're OK. Don't fuss over or give attention when he is acting up. Have him sit.

Puppies will become out of control and unmannerly, will ignore you, will do what dogs do if they're living in a dog world. You have to show them how to live in a human's world with patience and training. There is NO way that they'll learn on their own. You have to supervise, be very involved and train them....individually. When they're together all the time, they are more interested in what they're doing as a dog to dog relationship and not focused on you so they can't pay attention to you...no way. There are no short cuts.

My b.f's oldest son plays professionly in a band, practices 4 nights a week, performs 2 times a week and has a full time construction job. He has a pregnent wife and two border collie mix puppies of 5 months old. He actually is finding the time to train these pups. They're quite obedient, know their basic obedience and are fairly well mannered. They get their exericise and all their needs met. He's doing it. I think his wife helps too so there are two people working these dogs. Ya gotta hand it to them. He is one busy boy. LOL.

[kazkirkpatrick]

Originally Posted by Carrie

Well, this is why I never recommend getting two puppies at once. It's extremely difficult.

Well yeah, I agree, except Buddy is 2 and I Braxton is the new one yr old rescue addition! They are just making life difficult adjusting from their single dog households to being a 2 dog household, both want to be in control! No puppies here, just two dogs trying to make their mommas life difficult.

[Carrie]

Oh! I see! I didn't realize they were already so old. LOL. I thought they were both puppies for some reason. Yeah...they need a few crash courses in manners and obedience. LOL.

[Barrett]

To get your dog to stop digging in one particular spot, put his own poo in the hole. Don't cover it up, make sure there is enough in the hole so they can see it. Dogs won't want to dig near their own poo. Now you just have to make sure they won't dig a new hole. Once they completely leave the hole alone you can fill it in and put poo on top of it for a while. I agree about making your dog a digging pit if your can. I made one for my dachchunds but I used a baby pool above the ground since they are so small. I drilled holes in the bottom for draining and I filled it with nice topsoil and a little sand to keep it from packing down. The sand keeps the soil loose. I always burry toys and filled kongs in there so they can go treasure hunting. My little pup, Lucy, actually tries to burry her nylabones and favorite toys so Bailey can't get them.

[BuddysMom]

Buddy will be 3 in April, and Braxonn will be 1 in October he was my mom's dog he's our "inherited" dog

Braxton is funny -- He'll listen if a treat is involved...or a tennis ball...or something he enjoys. I do'nt feed them dinner, DH does, but i'm 99.9% sure he makes them sit-wait before going to there food.

I never thought about the poop in the holes we'll have to try that. They dig so close to the house, and we can't get some rocks like we did on the other side of the yard, for awhile still.

Braxton and made leaps and bounds from a few weeks ago, but still not how I want things to be.

I really like that sand idea, and bury the toys there, however we rent our house, from my grandpa, and knowing the person he is [hates animals] he'd never go for that...

[Carrie]

I really like that sand idea, and bury the toys there, however we rent our house, from my grandpa, and knowing the person he is [hates animals] he'd never go for that...

He wouldn't go for a single sand box but would go for digging up his whole yard?????

[Codykins]

Hire a dog behaviorlist - it will be the best money you ever spent.

The only way to train a 1 year old dog is to have him leased and by your side 100% of the time. Including when he goes to the bathroom out side. If he is not leashed at your side he should be in the crate. I would not allow the dogs to tussel it out over ANYTHING!! They are both at the bottom of the latter, neither is to think they are dominate.

[Carrie]

Well, I don't know about you, but I think 100% of the time is a little extreme to be leashed to one. I, for one would lose my mind that way too. LOL. The dog needs to have some freedom but supervised. How else will he learn to investigate things, but not destroy them if he is never given an opportunity to leave your side. I think that would make a very insecure dog who is afraid to explore his world or leave your side. Some of that is a good idea at times when you can't watch the pup. But I can't see anything replacing letting a pup be a pup and supervising him.

[Codykins]

Puppies learn from exploring, new people, new places. But not a one year old adolesent "dog"; Explore what? your garbage? your counter? Things they are not suppose to touch? If you allow that, all you end up doing is yelling at the dog - stop! No! [mod edit] Negative all the way - IMHO. That's the point. You can let him free, supervised - while on the leash. If the dog goes to "explore" something he is not suppose to - you need to be able to redirect him immediatly, call come! If he dosen't respond, using the leash is a good solution.

Dogs are not children who need to explore to develop their brains. To develop a dogs brain is to train it. The best dog is a trained dog, one who is content to sit by your side. At 6 months dogs are most influenced by humans. At seven to nine months they go through a second chewing phase -- part of exploring territory. Heightened exploration of dominance, including challenging humans.


The reason this dog digs is because he has the freedom to do this behavior. If he is walked on a leash and never allowed to dig, he will lose interest in digging, once that happens and he can be let free to run again.

[Carrie]

Well, I don't know....have raised a whole lot of puppies into well mannered, well trained dogs over about 3 or 4 decades and never tied them to me 100% of the time. In fact, I never tied them to me at all. I didn't say to allow them get into the garbage.

[Kade]

Buddysmom, can you afford to send Braxton to doggie daycare once a week or so? That would do him a lot of good as far as socialization. Especially if you could find one that combined training with the daycare program.

[Codykins]

Yup me too!

Did you know that most dogs automatically become well mannered as they mature at around three years of age.

[BuddysMom]

I really like that sand idea, and bury the toys there, however we rent our house, from my grandpa, and knowing the person he is [hates animals] he'd never go for that...


He wouldn't go for a single sand box but would go for digging up his whole yard?????

He's a very wierd man.....to say the least. If it were up to him we'd have no dogs, so we're redoing some spots in the back yard they like to dig with rocks which also help with draining the areasand they arn't digging or messing with the rocks we already have redone. My grandpa is just a very odd person...to say the least...LOL!!

There is NO WAY we can hire a behaviorist, its just way to much money and not worthwhile IMO, he doesn't have THAT many issues to warrent seeing a behaviorist, I didn't do it with Buddy [SA] i'm not doing it with braxton.

Day camp is a GREAT idea, and i've actually already thought about that, however, he couldn't handle being in that environment, not yet. He growls and barks and go crazy at the sight of other dogs, let alone being able to be loss around other dogs, no thanks, I don't want a law suit. I'm home early tonight so I think we're going to walk the lil terrors and hopefully see some other dogs, since its still early ::hopping::

I feel like I describe him as an out of control dog he really isn't THAT bad, just compaired to Buddy he's out of control, he is still just a puppy and a very smart and bright babe just doesn't use his potential

[mrsgrubby]

Just a couple of thoughts, If you have trouble keeping Braxton under control when he does see other dogs on a walk you could begin walking him on a gentle leader, it makes a world of difference. Also keeping him leashed to you will help. I sometimes have trouble giving my girl enough excercise to keep her out of trouble so tonight I tied her leash to my belt while I mowed the yard. She got tons of excercise while I pushed the mower, it worked great. Plus the more they get used to following you, the pack leader, the better for all involved. Also, for now, make sure all your training sessions are on a leash. It's hard to make a dog sit if they don't want to and arn't leashed.
And maybe start training back at the begining. Show him the treat and tell him to sit, when he sits, give him the treat. After a week, don't show him the treat, if he sits pull a treat out of your pocket and give it to him. If he doesn't sit, tell him one more time, if he sits give him the treat, if not, pull a treat out of your pocket, tell him to sit and then put the treat back in your pocket, as he didn't really earn the reward. he will probably sit the first time the next time.
Another thing you can do to stimulate him AND keep him busy is to feed him his dinner in a rubber kong. My dog trainer suggested this and I fill Jasmine's two kongs with her dinner and she works to get it out. Remember, in the wild dogs had to work and look for their dinner.
Good luck, it really sounds like you have your hands full.