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Lucy is a talker when bored or jealous....

dpenning

Well-Known Member
Ok all you training guru's. Lucy is my new EM pup. She is, of course, adorable. Mom might have a hard time not buying new toys all the time so you have to walk carefully when in the living room or you are liable to trip on a toy.

I remember the puppy piranha stage all too well so I know the incessant biting will stop so I just re-direct to a toy. What is making me crazy and I want to nip in the bud correctly is her vocalizations. She is a whiner! If she gets bored she will start whining, thrashing around in her dog bed (just for fun), or she can be sitting chewing on a toy and will just start whining, or come sit and look at one of us and start barking, or look at her sister with a little stuffy and bark her fool head off until she can steal the toy.

How would you handle these scenarios? I don't want to reinforce them, a few times I have put her back in her bedroom by herself to give her a chance to chill out when getting on the floor with another toy to play with her didn't work. I also don't want to teach her that anytime she wants me to play she just has to be noisy and obnoxious. Any suggestions?Lucytoys.jpg
 

kingmark

Well-Known Member
Ok all you training guru's. Lucy is my new EM pup. She is, of course, adorable. Mom might have a hard time not buying new toys all the time so you have to walk carefully when in the living room or you are liable to trip on a toy.

I remember the puppy piranha stage all too well so I know the incessant biting will stop so I just re-direct to a toy. What is making me crazy and I want to nip in the bud correctly is her vocalizations. She is a whiner! If she gets bored she will start whining, thrashing around in her dog bed (just for fun), or she can be sitting chewing on a toy and will just start whining, or come sit and look at one of us and start barking, or look at her sister with a little stuffy and bark her fool head off until she can steal the toy.

How would you handle these scenarios? I don't want to reinforce them, a few times I have put her back in her bedroom by herself to give her a chance to chill out when getting on the floor with another toy to play with her didn't work. I also don't want to teach her that anytime she wants me to play she just has to be noisy and obnoxious. Any suggestions?View attachment 58816
Your lucy is really something :) i knew that as soon as i see her pic when you brought her in her crate :) dont know any smart advice that i could give it to you ,beside be imagionable try all sort of things one will work you know her better then anyone.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Wear a treat pouch filled with a portion of her kibble - or whatever, just figure it into her overall food intake. Reward for every instance of calm. Every time she's simply doing nothing. Every time she does something you like. I've been watching my daughter's boxer pup while she's at work. By the second day he was sitting and making eye contact for everything. He's got separation anxiety and was initially barking and crying for attention when I was in the same room with him. The second he was quiet I clicked and treated (you don't have to use a clicker). It didn't take long for him to realize that demanding got him nothing but sitting and waiting did. I give little attention unless he's doing something I like. My advice to my daughter was that she had to love him less, lol. I rewarded him for going away from me, for choosing to do something by himself - for any instance of independence. He gets love an attention, just not when he demands it. We're just capturing calm and he's learning how to settle on his own. It's really made him a nice puppy to be around .... mostly. He still has his crazy land shark times.
 

dpenning

Well-Known Member
Wear a treat pouch filled with a portion of her kibble - or whatever, just figure it into her overall food intake. Reward for every instance of calm. Every time she's simply doing nothing. Every time she does something you like. I've been watching my daughter's boxer pup while she's at work. By the second day he was sitting and making eye contact for everything. He's got separation anxiety and was initially barking and crying for attention when I was in the same room with him. The second he was quiet I clicked and treated (you don't have to use a clicker). It didn't take long for him to realize that demanding got him nothing but sitting and waiting did. I give little attention unless he's doing something I like. My advice to my daughter was that she had to love him less, lol. I rewarded him for going away from me, for choosing to do something by himself - for any instance of independence. He gets love an attention, just not when he demands it. We're just capturing calm and he's learning how to settle on his own. It's really made him a nice puppy to be around .... mostly. He still has his crazy land shark times.

Thanks boxergirl! This is exactly what I needed!



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lexinrose

Well-Known Member
My girl is a whiner a vocalizer and back talker. She's a year old now and she's understanding it's not acceptable. I used to tell her to get out the kitchen and she would start Sassing. So I just stayed firm in my command made her get out hence were at the one year mark and she now goes without complaining 98%. She also whined for everything her toys, to go outside. I let her get away with it because I wanted her to learn to communicate with me what she wanted. Really helped when she wants to use the bathroom. I finally got sick of it at 1 year. So one dayI had her stay in her bed before we were ready to go for a walk of course lots of excited whining. Instead of approaching her I walked a few feet away from her this puzzled her she wanted to follow me I commanded her to get back in her place more whining I backed up further. I completely walked away from her until I was sitting on the couch waiting for her to finish 20 minutes of noises she finally calmed down. I said good girl approached her again she tried to start I gave command quiet and no no. Few more whines I backed up again from her. I'm back on couch again waiting for her to settle down took about 5 minutes. I say good girl approach again this time she's getting it. So this is my approach with everything with her right now. I had to let her mature enough for her mind to work through the unacceptable behaviour it didn't work very well when she was under a year. It's still not 100 percent but she's grasping the word quiet and that whining won't get her way with me. We have another dog if he has her toy she'll keep whining till he gives it. If I say quiet 90% of the time she stops. So lots of patients and the babies just need time to grow up.

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dpenning

Well-Known Member
My girl is a whiner a vocalizer and back talker. She's a year old now and she's understanding it's not acceptable. I used to tell her to get out the kitchen and she would start Sassing. So I just stayed firm in my command made her get out hence were at the one year mark and she now goes without complaining 98%. She also whined for everything her toys, to go outside. I let her get away with it because I wanted her to learn to communicate with me what she wanted. Really helped when she wants to use the bathroom. I finally got sick of it at 1 year. So one dayI had her stay in her bed before we were ready to go for a walk of course lots of excited whining. Instead of approaching her I walked a few feet away from her this puzzled her she wanted to follow me I commanded her to get back in her place more whining I backed up further. I completely walked away from her until I was sitting on the couch waiting for her to finish 20 minutes of noises she finally calmed down. I said good girl approached her again she tried to start I gave command quiet and no no. Few more whines I backed up again from her. I'm back on couch again waiting for her to settle down took about 5 minutes. I say good girl approach again this time she's getting it. So this is my approach with everything with her right now. I had to let her mature enough for her mind to work through the unacceptable behaviour it didn't work very well when she was under a year. It's still not 100 percent but she's grasping the word quiet and that whining won't get her way with me. We have another dog if he has her toy she'll keep whining till he gives it. If I say quiet 90% of the time she stops. So lots of patients and the babies just need time to grow up.

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Thanks!
 

LuthersMom

Member
My 5+ year old rescue Mastiff still "cries" when he doesn't get his way. Examples are when we are eating and make him stay in the hallway, or when I need to pen him up, or momentarily put him outside in a safe area, so I can vacuum, etc. I just have to stick with my guns. I go slow, use calm, reassuring, but firm voice and reward good behavior. Works for night-time crating, too. He sleeps right next to me, but would prefer the bed. As long as I know the crate is warm, dry, clean and contains a water bowl and treat, I know that he's okay...despite 10 minutes of crying. Some soft talk, reassuring words, even a white-noise machine sometimes...and he's out like a light.

I have had 6 dogs...all different breeds...Mastiffs are the most stubborn (at least this one)! I just have to be patient and stick with it. Good luck with your puppy!
 

Nik

Well-Known Member
So Boxergirl's advice is pretty much exactly what I would tell you to do. However, I will add to have some patience as well (while continuing to not reward the bad behavior and to always reward quiet happy behavior and of course always practice NILF including for things like cuddles and love). Hopefully you will see quick improvements like Boxergirl did but if you don't just keep at it and don't despair. She may need to gain a little maturity to truly grow out of it. Diesel was very VERY vocal... for two years. The training and work helped but it didn't really make it stop. Something about reaching 2 years old and gaining a little bit of maturity made a giant difference. Occasionally he will still back talk but it is always a quick grumble now and not the incessant barking/whining, grumbling, talking etc. that it once was and if he seems like he is going to start all I have to do is look at him and say "Do you need some alone time? Is that the issue?" And he shuts right up and acts very polite.

Now we are working on this allll over again with Kahlua so I feel your pain. Kahlua is less barky then Diesel was (he would demand for anything and everything he was soooo loud). Kahlua only puts up a fuss when she is in a different room from us and when she has to potty badly she will start making these whiney noises that I swear sound like a small child who has just told you they can't hold it anymore. I have to stop myself from sprinting to the door and letting her out the second I hear the whining. Instead we go through our NILF practices and I tell her to sit or do something else and to wait while I calmly walk to the door and open it. I wait a second or so before giving her a release word ("Okay") which she knows means she is now allowed to go do what she wants (run outside to potty). I am consistent enough that she has almost stopped with her funny little groan/whine when I tell her to wait.
 

Nik

Well-Known Member
Oh and the jealousy talking... I forgot to address that one! Our dogs do this. The only thing we found that works for the jealousy barking is the following

1. Always give them both a toy or bone at the same time. Never give one something and not the other.

2. Even if you give them the exact same thing they still think the other got something better and will try to steal and will bark at each other sometimes.

The thing that works for this (for us) is the instant that starts they are immediately separated and the one who was barking/complaining/trying to steal loses their item. It is very much a "time out" scenario. I make them wait in place, then I make them go through a few commands and then if they are behaving I will reward by returning their original item to them. If both dogs are acting up then both dogs lose their item.

They learn quick and most days all it takes is a quick warning to them when they start up with the jealousy thing and they will immediately go back to their own items and behave.

Usually the warning goes something like the following:
"You have a bone." while I point at the bone I gave to the one acting up.

If they act like they are about to bark or continue again the follow up warning is always "Do you need a break? Time out?"
Most days that warning now results in complete angelic behavior and both going to their own items and behaving... Most days. Every now and then they test me and I need to stick to my guns.
 

fila4me

Well-Known Member
My Flower has decided to reprimand me when I speak sternly to her boy or if I yell at him. They are both 7 and she will follow me doing this bossy barking and grunting at me. When I tell her that's enough and I'm the mother, she gives me a stern bark and goes and cuddles with him! Lol! it's an damn conspiracy around here!