# Dog is causing problems.



## ConcernedinMO (Aug 13, 2012)

We adopted a great dog about a month ago. He was supposed to be house broken etc etc. he's over a year old. Well, our son loves the dog... But he is having accidents in the house and crating him is turning into a disaster. He has chewed our son's toys... While the sitter was with him. We can only control so much of this behavior. He can't stay outside because he barks and the neighbors complained. 

I don't know what to do. I feel like the dog has to go back but my husband and son are completely against it. But they don't pick up the accidents! We've tried a dog trainer... So far.. Not much change. 

Don't want to break our son's heart. But we lease the house and the carpet is taking a beating!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 45188 (Sep 13, 2012)

Hes a puppy. They'll grow out of it. When you actually get to know the dog, you'll think of it as a furry child. My dog used to wreck everything, from flooring to books to shoes. Think of it as a sped up crash course of how destructive your son is going to be. Just a taste..


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## rj700 (Jun 22, 2012)

Exercise, discipline, affection - in that order and by everyone. Get some Ceasar Milan (Dog Wisperer) videos/books.


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## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

As a rescue worker and an active foster mom for several dogs I can tell you that you have to stick with this commitment and give the dog longer than a month.

What have you done so far to train the dog? 

I had a particularly unruly foster once...he was a monster to crate train.

Frozen kong treats will keep puppy occupied in the crate, food game toys will also work. if he's whining and crying in the crate,keep him in there until he stops crying...let him out ONLY when he is quiet and calmed down. Do this over and over,gradually increasing the time. it takes patience but he WILL get better I promise!

The housetraining thing doesn't have to be torture either. Since he is a rescue dog,you don't know truly what he has been through so no,a dog trainer might not be able to make a difference in just a few weeks time.


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## helpwanted (Sep 16, 2012)

rj700 said:


> Exercise, discipline, affection - in that order and by everyone. Get some Ceasar Milan (Dog Wisperer) videos/books.


This is the best answer to your question.


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## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

what kind of dog is it?


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## Almostrecovered (Jul 14, 2011)

training has to be consistent, if your husband and son aren't cleaning up messes and taking care of the dog I bet they aren't following through with proper training either


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## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

rj700 said:


> Get some Ceasar Milan (Dog Wisperer) videos/books.


Caesar rocks


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## COGypsy (Aug 12, 2010)

You also have to remember that this is a puppy and in a relatively new environment.

Everyone has to take the dog out at regular intervals--whether he has to "go" or not. Everyone uses the same commands and disciplines the same way. 

He needs to be consistently and sufficiently exercised. Especially as a young dog, if his energy isn't directed somewhere it will emerge to cause trouble. I'm guessing with a boy, you're familiar with this concept 

The dog toys and kid toys shouldn't be on the floor together and shouldn't be similar. The dog isn't going to be able to discern between HIS stuffed animal and your son's stuffed animal. If the dog toys are kept out and on the floor, then anything out and on the floor is fair game--especially during the chewing stage.

Having a dog is seriously like having a toddler in many ways and has to be trained and treated the same way.


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## vi_bride04 (Mar 28, 2012)

ScarletBegonias said:


> As a rescue worker and an active foster mom for several dogs I can tell you that you have to stick with this commitment and give the dog longer than a month.
> 
> What have you done so far to train the dog?
> 
> ...


This.

Also, sounds like he has alot of pent up energy...how often is he taken for a walk or exercised?


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## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

COGypsy said:


> You also have to remember that this is a puppy and in a relatively new environment.
> 
> Everyone has to take the dog out at regular intervals--whether he has to "go" or not. Everyone uses the same commands and disciplines the same way.
> 
> ...


:iagree::iagree:

and when the dog messes up, it isn't HIS fault. It's the human's fault.Sorry but it's true. I see too many people wanting to blame the animal instead of blaming themselves and the other people in the home for not properly guiding the dog. My shelter gets SO many dogs returned bc people aren't devoting enough time and energy to proper training. 

Disciplining the dog will only make him hide what he's doing. Instead of pottying in the open,he'll do it somewhere that you won't notice til later. 
Disciplining him for chewing the kids toys will only make him resentful and fearful. 

Redirect his attention and give him a firm No when you catch him with the toys and give him one of his toys and immediately praise him when he chews on it.

The dog might have been housebroken in his original home. Doesn't mean he will carry that over to a new environment.


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## justanaveragejoe (Sep 21, 2012)

the dog is not the problem, your training methods are

praise for GOOD behaviour works better than disipline for bad behaviour....keep the dog with you while home ALL THE TIME! if this means wrapping a leash around your waist then so be it, the dog comes everywhere you do! he will learn fast! you need to go out in the yard with the dog and PRAISE HIM for doing his business in the yard, this works better then disipline for going in the house, and yes it is alot of work and yes its hard, that is part of owning a dog

training a dog is not putting him out in the yard and letting hime figure it out for himself, you need to be out there with him, also walk him alot and praise him for doing his business on the walks


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## Matt1720 (May 7, 2012)

sounds like a consistency issue to me.

make sure everyone has one of these handy to click and treat in order to reinforce good behavior (yes, just laying there doing nothing and relaxing is good behavior  )










i miss my dog


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## WhereAmI (Nov 3, 2010)

We adopted a german shepherd mix. She has sooo much energy and is a giant pain in the butt if we don't exersize her. It took a while to find the best method of potty training her as well. We found a mixture of crate training/bell ringing worked for her. Every time we took her outside we'd ring a little bell that hangs from our door handle. It wasn't long until she figured out she could go outside if she rang the bell. She took advantage of it for a while (we'd come inside and shed ring it 10 minutes later lol), but it lost its newness eventually and now she only uses it to go potty. If she REALLY has to go, she starts shaking the bell like she's lost her mind. LOL 
As for chewing, we're stuck on that stage as well. We always have rawhides and bones around, but she really likes to tear up stuffed animals. Usually the more we walk in the mornings, the less destruction she'll do all day. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

I am not an advocate of crating. Dogs with anxiety don't improve with crating. To me that just masks the problem. Clearly your dog has two things going on - 1) not enough exercise and 2) too much anxiety. The exercise thing is pretty simple. Instead of letting your dog just be outside for long stretches of time it needs long periods of walking on the leash. I recommend 45 minutes twice a day. This should burn off excess energy. The second problem is harder - anxiety at what? Separation? Frustration? The mistake many people make is coddling a nervous dog. All you're doing is reinforcing nervous behavior. You need to be able to ignore the anxiety while directing the dog's attention to something else like constructive play, or other learning activities. A larger dog should be given a job to do like wearing a backpack to carry things, or if it's a water dog, retrieving things from the water, or pulling a wagon or what have you. Doesn't much matter as long as you give the animal a routine set of tasks. That's what constructive play is. 

High functioning herding dogs like collies and shepherds can be given some agility training.

Hounds are altogether different. Hounds are stubborn and obsessive and follow their noses no matter what. If they're not given things to follow and smell they tend to get lazy. Note also you probably can't run a hound to exhaustion, particularly beagles. Can't be done. 

Smaller dogs, under 30 lbs you could try enrolling in Canine Good Citizen training as a precursor to the training for therapy dogs or dogs used in hospitals or hospice care. CGC certification isn't that hard unless your dog is very strongly food motivated (like a hound). But in either case, giving a smaller dog a job like visiting veterans hospitals is a great way to give your dog a useful job.

For dogs smaller than that, I have nothing to suggest unless it's a terrier in the 8-15lb range. They all have OCD so if you want to throw a ball 4 million times, they'll do that. Under 8lbs...is that a dog?


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## CantePe (Oct 5, 2011)

Youtube caesar millan .. start using those methods. First off, dogs go by successful behavoirs. It is not spite, itis not to piss you off. It is biological instincts.

If the dog is succesful in going to the bathroom in the house it is considered a successful behavoir regardless of reaction from you. You need to show the dog that certain behavoirs are NOT successful behavoirs. Start by blocking access to areas he goes bathroom in in the house. Take him to a specific backyard spot and say go potty. Repeat ad nauseum until he gets that this is expected successful behavoirs.

For crate training... with his personality ane age you may or may not be successful with crate training. As for toy chewing. Get him lots of dog toys and bones to chew and teach him the drop it command.

Depending on breed, clicker training may help.


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## Miss Taken (Aug 18, 2012)

Don't give up on the dog. Get tough with your husband and son!

TONS of exercise. Re-arrange your schedules so the dog's day starts off with a long walk, bike ride, jog or roller-blade. Have everyone in the family take turns or choose one person to be responsible for this but get it done. This will help get rid of pent up energy before you leave for work/school so the dog will be less likely to want to entertain himself in destroying your home. The dog should also be walked again in the evening - especially if he was cooped up inside all day.

As for crate training, try to make the crate a positive place for your dog. Don't use the crate to punish. It needs to be his little cave and a place he feels good about - not a time-out chair or jail-cell. A good ritual when it comes to the crate is giving a certain treat before the dog goes into the crate. Have a nice blanket or cushion for him in the crate and a bone or toy to chew on. It sounds odd but lavender oil is a naturally soothing smell and it's safe for dogs so you might want to put some on its bedding. You might need to take time off to get the dog used to being in the crate for extended periods. First, you start off with short periods of time like fifteen to thirty minutes and as the dog learns to relax in there, you extend the length of time the dog is in the crate so that he can be in there for a few hours.

As for housebreaking, you need to get back to basics as if he was a puppy (he still is at one, most dogs aren't full grown until age three). When the dog eliminates inside, bring the poop or pee-soaked paper towels out in the yard to the spot where you'd like the dog to go to the bathroom. Bring the dog to the same smelly place frequently to eliminate throughout the day and give tons of praise when he does finally go where you want him to. 

Also, make sure to thoroughly clean up any accidents inside the home. Just because your noses can no longer detect the smell of waste, doesn't mean the dog's nose can't and if he smells his waste in that spot, he's likely to return to that spot and eliminate. Rent or buy a carpet shampooer and use a neutralizing cleaner to make sure the smell is 100% gone.

The dog sounds bored. The kongs and dog puzzles suggested by ScarlettBegonias are also great ideas. They sell sprays to go on furniture legs, electrical cords etc. to deter chewing... those might also be useful to you. Redirect his chewing to toys and bones. I'd also suggest that in addition to obedience training to train tricks as well to keep the dog's mind busy. Having a trainer is a good idea but you all need to be repeating what the trainer does with the dog when he's home so that he'll listen to you as well. 

You need to put your foot down with your husband and son when it comes to caring for and training the dog. It's not fair to you to have to do it on your own and it's not fair to the dog to be returned to the shelter because they are too unmotivated to help him. They should also be picking up after themselves so the dog has less access to things he shouldn't chew on. 

You might also want to do some breed-specific activities with the dogs. I'm not sure what breed your dog is but most breeds were created for a purpose so they have specific behaviours that are in their nature. For instance, our Border Collie, always tried to "herd" us into the same room when we were home. Our beagle, loved to chase after small animals (we trained her out of this) like rabbits and squirrels. Doing activities with the dog that fulfill those needs should quell more boredom as well.

Last, I second reading/watching books and videos from Cesar Milan. He's great.


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## CantePe (Oct 5, 2011)

Miss Taken said:


> Don't give up on the dog. Get tough with your husband and son!
> 
> TONS of exercise. Re-arrange your schedules so the dog's day starts off with a long walk, bike ride, jog or roller-blade. Have everyone in the family take turns or choose one person to be responsible for this but get it done. This will help get rid of pent up energy before you leave for work/school so the dog will be less likely to want to entertain himself in destroying your home. The dog should also be walked again in the evening - especially if he was cooped up inside all day.
> 
> ...


I have two hybrid dogs. One is a border collie, husky, timber wolf mix. The other is a husky, red capacian wolf mix. The first dog herds big time and having wolf in them presents some interesting situations. We are in the process of discussing adopting a 7 yr old rhodesian ridgeback too. Well i am in the proces of begging lol


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## 827Aug (Apr 27, 2008)

As an owner of numerous Australian shepherds over the past 30 years, I can attest to the fact that even the most active dogs can be terrific house pets. Please give us more details.

Plenty of raw hide chewies are a must! I taught my Aussie's the command "drop it" when something was a forbidden object. Many times they were given a chewy for dropping a forbidden object. They soon learned what they couldn't have. Also, be aware that dogs tend to put THEIR items in a certain area (as in their "den"). Make sure that humans aren't leaving things in THEIR area. One of my daughter's had a very hard time with this concept. She continued to leave shoes, clothes, purses, papers, etc. in the dog's den area and couldn't understand why the puppy chewed them to bits. Once my daughter started putting her things up, the puppy didn't touch them.


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## Needpeace (May 24, 2012)

I agree with "Ceasar" comments, he also says "Not only do the dogs need training so do the owners". Our German Shepherd pup has just turned 12 mths, he's now our third, we have many ribbons for our first, but our second was the best, he came everywhere with us, very socialized but never showed. This fella is panning out great too, the whole family need to be on the same page for success, lot's of variety in chew toys, exercise, consistency, positive interaction, socializing & patience. Your body language also speaks volumes to a dog. Good luck, I also don't agree with crating.


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

CantePe said:


> We are in the process of discussing adopting a 7 yr old rhodesian ridgeback too. Well i am in the proces of begging lol


We used to hunt boars with them. But they're not as tough at they look, more hound-like than anything else.


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

My Pit-Boxer shatters nylabones and fiberglas tool handles we're stumped as to what to use she can't destroy or hurt herself with.


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## CantePe (Oct 5, 2011)

Runs like Dog said:


> We used to hunt boars with them. But they're not as tough at they look, more hound-like than anything else.


Can you tell me more of your experiences with rhodies? I want as much info and research done before we consider adopting the rhodie we have been eying up.


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## chillymorn (Aug 11, 2010)

even with all this great advice I have to say some people/families probably should not have a pet dog. 

if you find all this effort of walking your dog or training it them maybe considering giving it a new home isn't a bad idea.

some of the problem is not realising what bread your getting and what the particular breeds needs as far as exercise.

you could put up a dog wire and buy a bark collar. and keep it out side for a fair portion of the day.I know alot of people don't like dog run for various reasons but if your yard is no fenced then you need something. 

we hung a small cow bell on our door knob and made him bump it with his nose everytime we put him out to pee and within a week he would walk over and ring the bell to go out!

most dogs need to go out right after eating and if you get in the habit of going for a walk after dinner it will poop and pee and then one last outting before bed and your good to go for the eve.


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## ConcernedinMO (Aug 13, 2012)

That's what is so odd about this dog. I think he was abused, because he pees when he hears a loud sound etc. he goes out after eating and does great... But it's just odd. He has a habit of getting scared... And running and peeing on our couch. Our couch is now ruined. It stinks like urine. 

And when I say loud noise... I mean like a horn honk or something minor/trivial. 




chillymorn said:


> even with all this great advice I have to say some people/families probably should not have a pet dog.
> 
> if you find all this effort of walking your dog or training it them maybe considering giving it a new home isn't a bad idea.
> 
> ...


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

CantePe said:


> Can you tell me more of your experiences with rhodies? I want as much info and research done before we consider adopting the rhodie we have been eying up.


We didn't raise them but we did keep them in packs of 5-9. Rhodies are very stable dogs, they operate like sight hounds and track motion but are weak tracking scent on the ground. They are somewhat aloof, almost like a pariah dog (Basenji, Pharaoh, Kanaani, Dingo). We found them to be very low maintenance, well behaved, not particularly skittish around children or other dogs. Though they do hunt and track feral dogs like Cape Hunters/African Wilds. They hold up very well on long treks with little food and water and take to being moved in a truck fairly well w/o getting car sick. They're bred as gun dogs so they're not scared of loud noises. We used them in groups of 3 at a time. They're good at cornering game in a triangle formation and will attempt to avoid a head on fight with a larger animal in lieu of attempting to corral it and signaling for you to come over and finish it. 

The down side is that they're not retrievers and once they're engaged in a track they won't break off so they can run off and keep going unless you're watchful. They're more or less fearless when up against any wild animal even a big cat. So there's a good likelihood it will get banged around in a fight. And, as I said they're not as tough as they look, they're slender through the chest, not stocky like a working dog, Rottie etc. So if they do get in a fight with a very strong dog or larger animals they're at a big disadvantage. 

Temperament wise they don't seem to want or need much human interaction but they're not unnerved by it and don't lash out - they walk off to be left alone if they want to be left alone. They are TERRIBLE watch dogs, like all hounds. And like all hounds, they need tall sturdy fences. Off the leash they're going to bolt.

A 7yr old that doesn't have any significant health issues probably won't have any. If it limps at all it's a hip problem.


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## that_girl (Jul 6, 2011)

The dog needs training.

He needs classes.

You have to be consistent and it will be a crappy few months, but he'll get it. 

It's a dog. They chew, they mess. We rescued a 4 year old lab 2 years ago and within the first week, it had scratched up my husband's car (chasing a rat in the garage). Omg.

Petco has training, and the shelter could have leads as well.


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## Homemaker_Numero_Uno (Jan 18, 2011)

I have been bringing my dog to my friend's house some weekends, she was anxious so I gave her some homeopathic calming stuff made especially for dogs and cats. The brand I used was Liquid Health K9 and Kitty Calmer. My dog also tends to chew my kids' toys if she gets a chance when we're not home (we try to remember to close their door to prevent access). Giving your rescue dog a calming med either a homeopathic or one prescribed by a vet might be the kind thing to do, along with grooming which will calm them, and a regular schedule and trying to find confidence building activities where they can be praised and know for sure who their alpha is. 

I used to work in an animal shelter in a large metro area (near Washington DC) I'm no expert but have had a lot of experience with rescue dogs and I can say that if you give it up it will only make the issues worse. The next family might have biting or soiling along with the issues you have experienced so far.

Sedating is not the be all end all but it does get the animal relaxed enough to learn to trust and to be a bit less reactive to environment, this results in them being able to communicate better, both on the receiving end and the giving end. Right now the dog is in a state of panic and hyped up anxiety. A dog needs clear expectations. Having a sitter might be adding to the problem, the dog does not know who it belongs to or who is going to be feeding it etc. It might be better to send it to doggie day care where there will be other dogs for it to learn proper dog behavior from and also people who are experienced in dog issues and remedying them. A lot of dogs end up going to doggie day care for the issues you have mentioned. The dog will build confidence being with other dogs and learning new things at a good placement. Plus it will not be in a household doing things that it knows are not okay to do, which only adds to the stress and anxiety it is experiencing.


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## Homemaker_Numero_Uno (Jan 18, 2011)

Runs like Dog said:


> We used to hunt boars with them. But they're not as tough at they look, more hound-like than anything else.


Like hogzilla?


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## that_girl (Jul 6, 2011)

So funny to read all this stuff about dogs.

Our 5 year old white lab doesn't chew ANYTHING. He doesn't play fetch. He doesn't play anything. He doesn't do anything. He's like a big cat. lololol. He will play if I horse around with him. He will bury things like crackers and spoons. But dang....he is SO NOT A PLAYER! :rofl: But he loves to be brushed and his nail did.


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## CantePe (Oct 5, 2011)

Thank you rld. I appreciate the time you took to answer my questions


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

Homemaker_Numero_Uno said:


> Like hogzilla?


No much smaller. Bushpig might grow to ~270lbs but that's rare. While it's popular to sport hunt bushpig, we would hunt them because they're an agricultural threat and they have adapted to human presence by learning to eat anything and they don't have any notable apex predators except the odd large cat. We didn't mess around; just track trail and shoot. Give the meat to ranch and farm workers families.


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

CantePe said:


> Thank you rld. I appreciate the time you took to answer my questions



Sure - keep in mind my experience with them is not as pets but as working dogs trained to do a specific thing. For instance, rhodies are also trained to track large cats, baboons or even people (poachers) but each task uses a different dog. Overall they're good dogs, a fine mix of workable large hound with all the attendant hound behaviors and laziness combined with a calm or aloof pariah. If you took a Carolina Dingo and crossed it with a Walker Tree Hound and threw in some Boxer you'd probably get an approximation of the general features. 

Please note, I've never worked with a rhodie who wasn't intact.


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

that_girl said:


> So funny to read all this stuff about dogs.
> 
> Our 5 year old white lab doesn't chew ANYTHING. He doesn't play fetch. He doesn't play anything. He doesn't do anything. He's like a big cat. lololol. He will play if I horse around with him. He will bury things like crackers and spoons. But dang....he is SO NOT A PLAYER! :rofl: But he loves to be brushed and his nail did.


My main beagle is a stuffed animal like that unless he's tracking rabbits or deer. All the dogs busted loose yesterday and lazy was the last one to get retrieved. It took an hour of cross country running through deep woods to nab him. Then he flopped down and fell asleep.


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## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

that_girl said:


> So funny to read all this stuff about dogs.
> 
> Our 5 year old white lab doesn't chew ANYTHING. He doesn't play fetch. He doesn't play anything. He doesn't do anything. He's like a big cat. lololol. He will play if I horse around with him. He will bury things like crackers and spoons. But dang....he is SO NOT A PLAYER! :rofl: But he loves to be brushed and his nail did.


My 5 yr old pitbull is the exact same way  such a little lovebug. She might shuffle around with her stuffed animals a bit but then she just plops down like she's exhausted. If I didn't force her to walk with me every day she'd be fat like a housecat


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## ScaredandUnsure (Nov 17, 2011)

Take that puppy on 3-4 long, tiring walks a day. It's hard for dogs to make messes or act out if they are tired! But really, a tired dog is a happy dog. And I agree with the frozen Kong treats, put some peanut butter or cheese whiz and freeze them, that will keep Fido happy as well. 

A young dog needs constant supervision, so when he's inside, you need to watch him very close and redirect him from areas he's used as a toilet. Keep things he likes to chew up out of reach. Read up on the clicker training method and Victoria Stillwell, I like her training methods. 

Enroll pup in some classes, a dog can never learn to much, and depending on the breed, some active breeds NEED jobs or they become unruely and bored and destructive. But again, you have to keep your dog stimulated and happy. Don't give up on him.


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## ladybird (Jun 16, 2010)

Animals are like furry children, you have to teach them, just like you do a child. 

Puppys have a lot of energy that you will have to burn such as walking and playing with.. Even though the dog is over a year old he is pretty much in the toddler stage!


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