A Whole Bunch of Firsts

[Murray Momma]

Hi Everyone! My husband and I got our first puppy together (a lovely BC/Auzzi Shep oops!-mix named Murray) a few weeks ago when Murray was 8 weeks. We've both had dogs in our lives before, but it was so long ago our parents were the primary trainers. As with any couple, our styles and ideas when it comes to puppy parenting diverge in a couple spots. Lucky for me, Murray is a momma's boy and looks to me as a "leader" and my hubby as "Never Ending Play Time." I've begun reading Control Unleashed-Puppy and I am seeing where Leslie's ideas of training are similar to my own. I'm excited to get my hubby on board with the style as well. He's a bit hands-on with the dog as far as corrections go, I know both he and Murray get frustrated with each other. What's the best way to approach the topic in a way which will result in the best training for Murray?

 

Murray is now 14 weeks and has Sit down pat and is well on his way to staying Down (except when over excited by new guests arriving to the house). He's also excellent when it comes to walking on a leash in any neighborhood in town or trail walking in the woods (will stay at Heel but is allowed a bunch of "sniff breaks" along the way to learn all there is about whichever neighborhood/trail we happen to be on). We're primarily thinking he'll be a companion dog for us (we've very active, I'm a runner and we go for 8-10 mile hikes on a regular basis on some rougher terrain) but we do need some assistance on where to go with training from this point - we're stuck on Come and Stay. When I give the Come command, Murray stands, crouches to a herding pose and slowly slinks in my direction until he's 2 feet away. At that point, he stops and jumps at me, tail wagging and smiling as if to say "I GOT YOU!" Yet, there are other times where the command is given and its a "No way, Mom" and he lays down. I've tried different tones in voice, offers of treats/toys... I'm stumped.

 

We also have some anxiety issues around other dogs. Murray comes from an odd background, he was the only pup (out of a litter of 5) to survive so he did not have the interaction with other puppies early in his development but was lucky enough to have both parents, a Great Dane and 2 cats. He approaches other dogs with curiosity but quickly gets over-excited and jumps them playfully (as with my parent's 8 year old Shih Tzu... she clearly wants nothing to do with Crazy Murray) or eye-balls them from afar and wants to say hello but then gets shy when actually close by the dog and hides behind my legs (my in-law's 12 year old English Springer Spaniel, the Black Lab down the road, and the BC around the corner). We are considering Doggy Daycare but don't want to overwhelm his anxiety into a fever pitch.

 

Any input from the BC family is certainly appreciated!

[ChantalB]

You're in a critical period, maybe even a little late but that's alright! Start introducing him to everyone. Think 100 men, 100 women, 100 kids. Think people with hats, people in increasingy scary Halloween costumes (more makeup-costume parts=scarier, IMO.) people in wheelchairs, people with canes, people with snowshoes on, people that look funny, etc. Let him meet people from all walks of life.

 

Do the same thing with well socialized dogs too.

 

Do the same thing with objects. Stairs, vacuums, hair dryers, cars, everything.

 

Do the control unleashed puppy program so he learns he can control his environment through good behavior (in a nutshell)

 

Think of all the things that's easy to do now because of his size (picking him up to move from trouble) and start teaching him how to handle that being a big dog you can't move.

 

Always handle each interaction with treats, fun and praise. Don't coddle him but don't push him too hard either. It's about finding that middle ground.

 

The more positive socialization you can give him his first two years the better!!

 

And let him also just be a puppy.