are these puppy things normal?

[B.B.'s mom]

b.b is now 6 months old and has developed some strange habits. if anyone can help i would appreaciate it:
1. he refuses to be in a room without me, if someone else wnats to spend time with him he wimpers so sadly untill he is back with me. he follows me to the bathroom and if i go to the basement(he's not allowed) and the whole house is full with people, he sits by the door untill i come back up. me and my husband can be in bed and if i leave to get a drink of water he runs to the foot of the bed untill i get back! help!!it used to be cute to me but know its borderline annoying.
2.his little biting phase has turned into an "all the time" thing. no more quiet nights watching tv while he lays on my lap. he bites my hands and arms constantly and if i am walking he bites my feet and slippers..and it hurts!! the first time i really yelled at him hard he dropped to the floor like he was crushed, looked at me with big sorry eyes and slinked back into my lap. while it broke my heart, i was still happy to be in control of this bad habit. NOT ANY MORE. i can yell so meanly and he keeps right on chewing!
(sorry i am writing a novel here!)
3. he is obsessed with people food. he barely touches the puppy food and i have tried many kinds. when i cook he sits at my feet and stares up at me, it could be hours! same thing when we are eating. i know to keep a dog healthy you should not feed them table scraps but i want him to eat something!!
lastly: 4. i wonder if any of this psycho behavior is due to the fact that he was from a pet store! i read alot since i made that mistake and i know that they are not properly socialized,( kept from their siblings..etc) anyway..any help would be great!!
jeanie
ps.do puppies loose thier teeth like humans do? one of b.b.'s fell out the othr day and i looked in his mouth and it seems as though a few are missing.

[Carrie]

Losing teeth at this age is normal. You did too when you were about 6 yrs. old. LOL

All the behaviors you're describing and some of the things you've been doing are like adding 2+2.

First, stop yelling at him. It is possible that he has something physically wrong? What if he were sick? Yelling does nothing to teach the dog and only serves to make him confused and to distrust and fear you.

It's not his fault that he's become this way. He's a companion dog and that makes him want to be near you. However, although dogs are pack animals and need to have companionship, they need to learn how to be on their own a little too. Start doing the nothing in life is free program. I urge you to read and study this whole thing: http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

The people food? Why is he pestering you and insisting on people food? Is he being rewarded for doing that? Yes.

Any behavior will be repeated if there is a payoff. I keep saying that in all kinds of threads, but that's the gospel truth.

Everything that you describe that is undesireable, he has received some sort of reward for, whether on purpose or inadvertant.

After you start the NILIF program, here are some other good sites:


http://www.dog-play.com/index.html

http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/dog.htm

[IceyBlueSibes]

As far as him being "clingy"... that's just the way he is. Some dogs are more clingy to their owners than others, and he just likes to be wherever you are. When you first got him, did you always have him with you? If so, then it may have been a doing on your part. He just doesn't want to be left alone without someone he knows... My boxer/GSD mix Sarge will do the same things you described..

The biting could be because he was from a pet store. Since like you said, they are takin away from their siblings and mother too early, they don't learn bite inhibition. But you yelling may be exciting him more than it is telling him not to do it. Here is a read that you may find helpful... Puppy: Biting

Yes puppies loose their teeth like humans. At this point they may chew more than usual. A new set of adult teeth will set in, and at another point, will begin to chew again...

That's my .02

PS. About the eating, like Carrie said, if you eventually give him the people food because you're afraid he won't eat, you're only rewarding him for begging. Trust me, if you leave him be, and just let him beg all he wants, and you DON'T give him snacks, he'll eat his own food. He'll get hungry enough

[Barrett]

We he seems to be very attached to you. My dog Bailey is a little like that. She definetly thinks she is my dog and if I leave the room she folows me even though my husband is sitting right there. If you have other people/kids in the house you should have them help train him in obedience. Use extra special treats with other members of the family in the beginning and if you want you can slowly over a month or two take the treats away. Get them to do training sessions with him everyday. That should help with her playing favorites.

The biting thing is hard to control and you and everyone in the house has to be very consistent. EVERY time he puts his mouth on you yipe high pitched like a puppy cry and immediately give him a chew toy to have. When he chews on the toy give him a treat and praise. If he tries to bite on you after repeated tries to get him to bite the toy, yipe and leave the room. Ignore him for a minute or two and then come back in the room. Praising him and giving him treats every time you see him chewing on an appropriate toy is important too. When puppies play together and one gets too rough and bites too hard the other pups will cry and ignore him. That is how they learn bite inhibition.

As for begging for people food, this is hard to break too but it can be done. You have to ignore him and never give him a bite at the table. He won't starve himself. When he is hungry enough he will eat his own food. What I do with my dog is I make her sit on her bed when I am eating. She is not allowed to beg. If she gets off her pillow I quietly get up and put her back on the pillow and tell her to stay. I'm not mean and I don't scold. I just give her the stay command. In the beginning I had to get up every 3 minutes and put her back. When we are all done with eating I will put a tiny scrap of meat in her bowl. She never gets a bite from the table.

As for your last question, yes puppies do lose their teeth. I think it starts between 4-6 months of age. Keep his puppy tooth..it's cute! This could be a reason he is biting on you so much. His gums may be a little sore and chewing will relieve some of the pain and pressure. Crossfire reminded me that you can take tug-o-war ropes or knotted up tea towels and soak them in water or very diluted chicken broth and freeze them. It will help his gums to chew on them.

[Carrie]

Yeah...Icey. I agree. Some breeds are clingier than others. If someone is annoyed by that, then a Malti poo wouldn't be a good choice. Most toy breeds are like that. My Doberman is like that. My Chihuahuas are velcro. My Lab is more independent but has her clingy times. I do like that but temper it down by not giving in to their every demand. But I could never yell at them for wanting to be close to me. That's what they were bred to do. It's their "job." LOL.

[Barrett]

LOL we all posted at almost the same time!

[Carrie]

Barrett, we must have posted at the same time. I didn't see your post until now. Good advice! The only thing I'd be cautious about is having a lot of people training the dog. That could confuse him because everyone's timing will be different and other things will be slightly different even if consistancy is attempted. And the dog will feel that. But they sure could join in with a few commands, like wait till the food bowl is set down. Maybe a sit, a down. But for the most part, the training should be done by the main person.

[Carrie]

We did it again! LOL

[B.B.'s mom]

just wanted to clarify!( so you all don't think i'm a monster) i am not upset that he wants to be with me all the time, i just worry that the rest of the family feels slighted, and yes..it is a bit annoying that i can't enjoy a minute at the computer without feeling guilty. and as far a s the yelling goes.he is not verbally abused..my idea of yelling is just saying "b.b. stop..no.." he is a s happy as can be ( chewing me to bits) as i scold!
just wanted to clarify...but for the most part..as usual...thanks everyone! thanks for the links too..the doggie training books i fould out there were pretty useless!
jeanie

[flyndog]

BBs, have you read our suggestions to your previous posts? For example: http://globalpaw.com/showthread.php?t=2359
Didn't they work for you, or were you unable to implement them for some reason? If you don't begin to take control you are going to have serious problems in the future with this dog. If you think it's bad now, just wait. It can get a whole lot worse. I'm not quick to advocate the NILIF program. I think it is often over recommended. But in your case, I agree with Carrie and think you need to give this dog a job to do. At least for a while until you sort out who's responsible for whom. I think that right now, the dog thinks he's responsible for you instead of the other way around. I understand that he's adorable and hard to resist. But you're the one with the big brain. Use it! Take control! You can do it! We're here for you! We're rootin' for you!

[flyndog]

Originally Posted by B.B.'s mom

..the doggie training books i fould out there were pretty useless!
jeanie

See recommended reading list in Behavior forum for some good books.

[Carrie]

The NILIF teaches the dog to stop being so demanding and clingy. The ideas there are good ones IMO to use to give the dog the distinct impression that he is not in control. You are. You provide the resources that he needs and wants and IF he wants them, he has to earn them. It gives examples of areas where this concept can be implimented. It is good for a lot of behavioral problems....from aggression to this sort of thing. This sort of thing you're experiencing can turn into aggression later if you don't switch roles with this dog. All dogs take some training and knowlegeable training in order for them to be pleasurable members of our family. If you don't involve yourself and dedicate your time to learning and following advice from people who have had success, you are doomed to an unhappy end with this dog.

[Barrett]

Carrie,
I read that it is good for all members to help with obedience training. I agree one person should teach new commands but all members should help practice. I had a problem with Bailey minding my husband when I wasn't home. It was because I taught Bailey her commands, took her to classes every week, practiced with her everyday. She became very attached to me and wouldn't listen to my husband, even if he just wanted her to sit for a treat or come when called. I started making him practice with her everyday and teach her new tricks and she began to listen to him too. She became a little less clingy to me too and is usually happy to sit with my husband now even if I get up to use the bathroom or go out to smoke. (especially if she is curled up on the couch with him under the covers, she will stick her nose out and follow me with her eyes but won't follow.) LOL

[Carrie]

I agree with you that all members should take part in giving the dog a job to do, giving a simple command in order to receive anything good from them so that the dog will respect them and see them as the dog's leader too. All members should take turns feeding the dog, brushing the dog and having him hold still and behave. Or coming when called should be expected with all.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that for the obedience training as a whole to be clear to the dog, it is difficult to have 5 different people praising the dog or correcting the dog in 5 different ways and with varying timing. It's a challenge as it is to communicate with a dog what we want and to teach him obedience. Now can you imagine starting out with a dog who has no training being directed by many people? I don't know how possible it is to have every member of a family doing things the exact same way.

[Barrett]

I agree it would be hard for a dog to learn from 5 different people. With timing, different voices and simply how assertive different people are would confuse a dog. Small Children especially have a hard time giving commands that a dog would listen to if still learning. Feeding and brushing and playing games with a dog are good ways for the family to help.