New BC owner needing advice

[JMaeM]

I have the most wonderful 7 month old puppy (Reina). She is loving, an extreme cuddler and very sharp. We got her when she was 7 weeks old. Her first couple weeks with us had to be a little confusing, we were staying with friends and in the middle of a move. Luckily, we moved into her birth house and have been here for 4 months now. I'm hoping I can get a little advice about a few things.

 

I've always grown up with dogs...primarily german shepherds (growing up, usually out side dogs) and then Jack russell mixes in my adulthood. My husband and I have a 6 year old yellow lab who is docile, sweet and very low key. They are good friends though our lab gives us a very annoyed look once in awhile with all of Reina's energy and rough play. She was never crate trained, she's always slept in our bed or with our lab on the dog bed. She usually spends half the time in the bed and half on the floor... she doesn't use the dog bed we bought for her.

 

Reina is my baby! I think that may be part of the problem. I stay at home and have been with her nearly every moment of every day. We go to the dog park regularly and she is home alone with her sister (aka the lab) for maybe 5 hours every other day. We have a doggy door which she picked up instantly. When we leave, she very often has accidents on the upstairs carpet. The moment we head up the stairs she bolts out the doggy door because I'm positive she knows its wrong. She will stay out there and wont come when called and puts her ears back.... I really feel she knows it's wrong. I'm concerned she is doing it because she's upset when I leave though there could be a possibility of smelling other accidents from the previous house owners. She will get up in the middle of the night and go out the doggy door to go potty, she definitely knows where to go. Our lab NEVER has accidents and is a stellar example.

 

The other advice I was seeking was how to go about beginning to train her and what things does everyone feel are good beginning things to teach? It is difficult to train her with treats because our Lab over powers the situation and wants nothing more to eat them all Reina gets distracted by her, so it is difficult. It's difficult to walk them together as well because they both pull and the lab was never trained, I just married my husband and the lab was his originally, she isn't very trained. I feel extremely lucky that they both listen so well and do not run when off a leash. They both stick very close to my side. Reina an awesome frisbee catcher and she has been really into catching things lately, like her ball or a toy. As far as the training goes, I feel like I need to teach her some manners or how not to get in peoples 'personal space'. She's such a lover but it can be overwhelming for people... I always tell my husband she's a bossy bee. This is my first BC pup and highly energetic dog, any advice I can get would be very helpful!!!

 

Lastly, is it a normal BC thing to follow me around everywhere I go? Sometimes I try and tip toe as not to wake her if I go to the next room but it's impossible She's very curious.

 

Thank you for any help or advice!

[gcv-border]

You have asked many questions - too many for an answer of reasonable length. My first suggestions is to search the past topics on this site, and you will find a wealth of information that will answer many of your questions. For example, crate training (yes, you should) has been discussed many times; likewise for potty training. For training, I suggest separating the 2 dogs and train one at a time. (put one dog in a bedroom (and close the door) while you train the other dog somewhere else. The best start to training should concentrate on manners - sit, come, leave it, not jumping, etc. - so you have a mannerly dog.

 

Sorry for the short answer, but I am sure you will get excellent advice from other forum participants - and don't forget to take some time and review past topics.

 

Jovi

[rushdoggie]

She sounds like a lovely dog, and she is very cute.

 

She also sounds like she is very bonded to you. You say she pees upstairs when you are not home but does not have accidents when you are home. My guess is she is experiencing some separation anxiety that cause her to urinate inappropriately. Its a fairly common thing.

 

As far as her "knowing what she did was wrong," its more likely that she knows you get upset when you find pee on the floor and she knows there's pee on the floor. It doesn't mean she knows she is bad. Dogs just don;t think like that.

 

Can you block her from being upstairs when you leave? And I would make an effort to teach her to be calm and happy when she is alone, starting with sleeping in her own bed (next to yours, even) because its a tough life for a dog stressed about being alone.

[Kelleybean]

My suggestion is crate training. If you do this you can crate her when you are gone--no pee. BTW, most dogs learn to love their crates--it's like a special cave for chilling out.

Her following you around is definitely a BC thing. I always find it amusing and if I stop too suddenly, a wet nose hits my leg. My mom has 4 BS's they all do the same thing. No going to the bathroom in private!

[beachdogz]

Reina is my baby! I think that may be part of the problem.

 

Me too! However, none of the problems you have listed are terrible problems and they are all fixable with a little effort!

 

She was never crate trained, she's always slept in our bed or with our lab on the dog bed. She usually spends half the time in the bed and half on the floor... she doesn't use the dog bed we bought for her.

 

When we leave, she very often has accidents on the upstairs carpet. The moment we head up the stairs she bolts out the doggy door because I'm positive she knows its wrong. She will stay out there and wont come when called and puts her ears back.... I really feel she knows it's wrong. I'm concerned she is doing it because she's upset when I leave though there could be a possibility of smelling other accidents from the previous house owners. She will get up in the middle of the night and go out the doggy door to go potty, she definitely knows where to go. Our lab NEVER has accidents and is a stellar example.

 

It's never too late to crate train. Although you felt she never needed crate training, here is why she does. Not crating her has left her clueless on when she should hold it. The fact she still gets up in the middle of the night to potty proves this. My first BC rescue was raised like this with a doggy door, and I had a very similar problem when she came to live with me. Crating her when you are away and during the night (she can still sleep in your room!) will solve those problems.

 

The other advice I was seeking was how to go about beginning to train her and what things does everyone feel are good beginning things to teach? It is difficult to train her with treats because our Lab over powers the situation and wants nothing more to eat them all Reina gets distracted by her, so it is difficult. It's difficult to walk them together as well because they both pull and the lab was never trained, I just married my husband and the lab was his originally, she isn't very trained. I feel extremely lucky that they both listen so well and do not run when off a leash. They both stick very close to my side. Reina an awesome frisbee catcher and she has been really into catching things lately, like her ball or a toy. As far as the training goes, I feel like I need to teach her some manners or how not to get in peoples 'personal space'. She's such a lover but it can be overwhelming for people... I always tell my husband she's a bossy bee. This is my first BC pup and highly energetic dog, any advice I can get would be very helpful!!!

 

At 7 months, NOW is the time to look into formal obedience training/classes. Your instructor can help with many of these training problems you are experiencing. You will find it to be a wonderful bonding experience for you and Reina. I encourage you to look into classes today. And once you are in class, you can come home and train BOTH Reina and the lab! Training should be done separately with the two dogs, for their sake and yours!

 

Sounds to me like you have two terrific dogs. Just a little tweaking will make Reina even more perfect....and will make your life a lot happier.

[SecretBC]

If she is otherwise trustworthy when you are away, a simple baby gate can block access from going upstairs. I agree that the indoor urinating is likely due to anxiety of being away from you, in which case crates certainly can make them feel more safe & secure.

 

Train the dogs separately. A quick fix for walking would be something like the Easy Walk harness or a head halter.

 

The first place to start is a beginner obedience class. From there your options are endless -- You can continue on with obedience, get into something like rally, or maybe decide to play in a sport like agility or flyball. If you find a good training school that offers all of these things you can start at the beginning and work your way up.

 

At seven months old, be careful with your frisbee play. A dog that young should not be jumping up to catch flying discs.

 

It does kind of sound like you haven't installed any boundaries for your young dog, so now is a good time to start.

[Kelleybean]

I agree with the obedience training. I think it it a must if you are living with your dogs in the same house, especially large dogs. I would obedience train BOTH dogs, although they would probably do best in separate classes.

[juliepoudrier]

I wouldn't be so quick to label urinating while you're gone as anxiety. It could be, but there's also the likelihood that she smells where she's gone before and so simply goes there again. I agree that if she's heading out the doggy door when you get home, she's sensing your anger/stress. I don't even think she connects the vibes coming off you with something she may have done an hour earlier, but she does know that you're upset and so she gets out of dodge.

 

I would say this is a youngster who isn't really potty trained. Blocking her from upstairs might solve the go where she's gone before issue, but it doesn't address the deeper problem of whether she's truly housetrained. As someone else noted, if she can go whenever she wants, then she has no idea about holding it. Use a crate or gate her into a small area and house train her.

 

As Karissa said, you need to train the dogs individually. Reina will never make great progress if you're also trying to manage the lab at the same time.

 

At her age, she should at least have a recall (come when she's called), know sit and lie down and be able to walk nicely on a leash. Any other thing you might want to teach her (like tricks) is good for her mentally, but not a requirement. If you have specific activities in mind that you might want to do with her in the future then there may be some foundational training you could get involved with.

 

But first and foremost, I'd concentrate on making sure she truly is housebroken. I don't think she is.

 

J.

[D'Elle]

Just to chime in: I agree with all that has been said.

CRATE TRAIN Raina.

Take her to an obedience class.

She is not fully housebroken, so a little work on that would be good. Please do not assume that she "knows it's wrong", as that can lead to your feeling frustration and anger toward her that is unwarranted. Instead, assume she doesn't fully understand her housebreaking rules. Make it impossible for her to do what you do not want (pee upstairs), whether that means crating her when you are gone or blocking off the upstairs area.

Never try to train more than one dog at a time in the same room. Always separate them when you want to work on training the puppy.

Take them for separate walks if you want to train the puppy while walking.

 

She sounds lovely. Welcome to the BC Boards! You will find excellent advice here ad a lot of support, so stick around.

D'Elle

[frisbeegirl]

Hi,

 

Keeva is now 10months. Wow yes if you allow your BC to have free range of your home they will follow you everwhere even the bathroom.

 

I have put up a baby gate to segregate her from the whole house. She stays on the first floor when we are home and cooking, working etc. At night she usually spends time with me.

 

I also had a few issues in the begining I took her everywhere with me. When we were visiting she could not sit still she didn/t know where to relax. Thank goodness those days are gone.

 

I tell her I will be back and to be a good girl. Never had an accident.

 

My suggestion tell her what u want. My BC constantly amazes me with commands that I dont think to much about and she understands. She knows at 10 months what is expected in the house.

 

OUTSIDE IS A DIFFERENT STORY. HA HA This is her world. (where training and all the great fun thinks happen.)

 

Good Luck they are so much work but so worth it.

[Gloria Atwater]

Hi JMae!

 

Reina looks like a darling - no wonder you love her!

 

Yes, it's totally normal for a BC to shadow your every step. Mine even follow me to the bathroom. right now they are a couple feet from my chair.

 

I agree with the suggestion of a baby gate to keep her from the upstairs where she's having accidents. She's probably not fully potty-trained, so if you're only going to be gone for an hour or two, by all means, teach her about crate training. Make a crate a good thing, with treats and toys to keep her happy.

 

As for training her, you MUST separate her and the lab for your training sessions. Otherwise it's like trying to teach a 7 year old math while his playmate is on the swingset right behind him. It's unfair to ask her to keep focus with her buddy offering such a powerful distraction - and stealing treats, lol.

 

Do look into obedience classes, if you're not comfortable doing it yourself, but go with your gut as to whether that class is right for you and Reina. BCs are sensitive to noise and activity, so if a class feels too rowdy or stringent for you, then don't go back.

 

The first things I'd start teaching her are the basics, Sit and Off. (The latter for jumping up.) If she's toy motivated, maybe you could even use her toys as bribe material to get her to sit and stay. Remember to keep the sit/stays very short, just seconds, in the beginning. And keep the overall training sessions brief, in the beginning.

 

I'm also a believer in treats for training. Chopped hotdogs or cubes of cheese are great training aids.

 

Good luck with your little girl! But do remember that training can only happen if she's separate from her lab buddy.

 

~ Gloria