4 month old puppy help

[Schmause]

Hello!

 

First let me say Thank You to all the questions and responses on this board. I have a 4 month old male border collie and I have found this website to be full of answers, tips, suggestions, etc.

 

I'm at the point with a few behaviors of my lil guy that I just don't know what to do and need some help.

 

1) First one is potty/pooping in the house still. We have had him since he has been 8 weeks old and would take him out regularly on the hour and then as he got bigger, anywhere between 30 minute to an hour after he eats/drinks. He will go potty outside when we tell him but it seems that he is just "not caring" on where he pees. We are obedience training and he will just start peeing, even if we take him right before class and he goes. If we catch him in the act, we quickly say "no!" and then take him outside. It seems like he "knows" not to go in the house, but is choosing not too. I'm getting tired of continuously running my SpotBot Pet!

 

We have had some stomach issues with him - he contacted giardia and had an upset stomach for a weekend. We went on a rice/beef homemade food for 2 weeks and then slowly phased in blue buffalo wild rice and chicken dry food.

 

2) Aggression biting and sometimes growling - I think that is the appropriate name for it. He is teething and his adult teeth are coming in, however this situation happens when we go to hold him. He used to be ok with us having in the cradle position in our arms, where he would then relax and be ok. Now if we go to put him in that position or even go to pick him up, he bites at us or growls. He is also starting to jump up and try to bite our hands when we walk. Its almost to tell us, "get away from me now". It is not every time he does this. We could be playing or we are sitting and he comes right up to us and give us kisses. I need some help on what to do in those situations. I don't want to make it worse. He didn't like it when the vet examined his back and hind legs either. If he does bite me, I go "owww" and make a scene. He doesn't seem to care.

 

Other than those things, he is a funny loveable dog that has a bold personality. We have him in puppy agility and obedience classes and he is doing great He loves the classes. I would like to make it through one class without a bathroom accident though!

 

Any tips, helps, advice on a 4 month old puppy would be very appreciative.

 

Thank you!!!

[Gloria Atwater]

The very first thing I would say is SLOW DOWN!

 

A 4 month old puppy? Goodness, he's just a baby! His attention span is about 60 seconds and he's going to be distracted by every little leaf that blows. I've never seen a 4 month old puppy that is 100% housebroken or in complete control of his bladder.

 

Slow down. Be patient. Relax. I don't know how often you're taking him for those classes, but on the face of it, that sounds like a lot stuff you're throwing at him. At 4 months of age, all I ask of a puppy is that he knows his name, comes (mostly) when called, goes in his crate when asked, and is learning to "sit" for treats.

 

I would say your baby dog is *not* ready to get through a class without a potty incident, because he's a baby. Classes are an exciting place. If he has to pee, he's going to pee, and it has nothing to do with "wanting" to control it. Self-control is still weeks away.

 

Per the cradle hold thing ... I'd say don't do it any more. He's getting too old for that, and border collies in particular are sensitive to things they consider stress or pressure. Being turned on his back is an extremely vulnerable position and as he gets older, it may be starting to freak him out. So, stop it. You won't be doing that to him when he's full grown and weighs 40+ pounds, so respect his person and don't ask him to do things that are unnecessary and uncomfortable for him. He's not a squishy toy.

 

Likewise with picking him up. How often do you do that? If you're picking him up a lot, he may be finding it increasingly unsettling. If it's not necessary, don't do it. You want your dog to accept being handled, whether for grooming or vet visits or just checking for ticks or burrs. But you don't want to over-do it to the point he starts feeling like he has to tell you to stop making him uncomfortable.

 

The hand-biting while walking, on the other hand, sounds like simple over-exuberance. I can't see him in action, of course, but I've seen that sort of thing just as a puppy being foolish and over-excited. If he tries to grab your hands, you could try yanking your hand away and yelping a big, loud, OUCH, act like he really hurt you, and see if he responds to that.

 

Anyhow, that's my two bits. I come from a working-dog background so I may not approach things the way other folks might, but those are my thoughts, for what they're worth.

 

Best of luck with your little guy!

Respectfully submitted,

 

Gloria

[mum24dog]

I come from a working-dog background so I may not approach things the way other folks might, but those are my thoughts, for what they're worth. :)/>

 

Gloria

 

You've given the sort of advice that most people who empathise with their dogs would give, whatever their background.

 

Personally I'd expect a pup to do more than you would at that age but I'd be doing more training so it could - only so far as the pup could cope though. My expectations and ambitions may not the the same as those of the pup in front of me and I would never measure up my pup's progress against another.

 

We lead different lives and our dogs are destined (hopefully) for different activities and if your pup is happy without being trained to do a load of things it will never need and don't interest you to teach then why bother?

[gcv-border]

I agree with Gloria. I particularly like her analogy to a "squishy toy". Please respect your dog. They are not babies or toys. My dog never liked being cradled. To this day, he is not a lap dog for more than 10-15 seconds. It is just not a position that is comfortable to him, yet he is one of the most loveable of dogs, but in his own way.

 

If he does not like his hind end or back legs examined, two things come to mind. He is in general reacting to the fact that he is overstressed at the vet and is more sensitive to what he considers vulnerabilities. I would "train" him to accept handling (feet, mouth, ears, etc.) by gentle, momentary touches. If he does not react, then click/treat. Work from there. The other thought is: could he be hurt? BCs are known for overextending themselves (been there, done that) and can hurt themselves without you knowing it due to a high pain tolerance (in general). I would start with the calming training, and if he is still "owee" in that part of his body, I would have a rehab vet check him out.

 

Jovi

[Sue R]

What Gloria said!

 

As Pam points out, some pups in some situations will be further along than others in certain ways. Some of that depends on the pup, some on the handling/training, and some on the combination of the two.

 

As for pottying, I found myself taking Dan out on the hour until he was six months old, even though I've heard of others whose pups seemed to "get it" at a much younger age. Sometimes the pup "getting it" is really just the owner "getting it" right sooner!

 

I would not wait half an hour or an hour after feeding, etc., to potty a pup. The time to go is *right after* feeding, drinking, waking, playing, etc. Waiting is just asking to have that pup do his/her business on your floor. When my young pups were in classes, we pottied on the way in to class, and halfway through class (at about half an hour), and as soon as class was over. Avoiding accidents at this age is *your* responsibility, not his.

 

I don't know what you are cleaning up after with but make sure you use an enzymatic cleaner that destroys the odor (the odor that says to the pup, "This is the place to go.").

 

If you scold the pup for having an accident, you may just be teaching him that he needs to go off in the house away from you to go potty. When he begins to go, get him and take him outside, and clean up any mess inside without scolding. I found that, for myself, if my pup had an accident, it was me that needed the scolding because I was either not pottying him/her often enough and/or watching and responding to the signs that an accident was about to happen.

 

I agree on the picking up - while very little pups may enjoy that a lot, many don't as they grow. And there is a sense of insecurity at being held like a baby - it's not a naturally comforting thing to many dogs to be held that way. Some learn it and like (or tolerate) it but many don't. Don't push your *wants* on a dog or pup whose nature dictates otherwise.

 

Hand-nipping? Natural, and something you need to deal with. He's not telling you to get away, he is play-fighting or practicing play predatory behavior, which is totally natural for a youngster. Don't give your pup the chance by dangling your hands enticingly. If the pup nips, try saying "OUCH" or another sharp and high-pitched word. Oftentimes, the pup will sit back down and think about that reaction (like another pup would yelp if nipped too sharply), and that's the time to praise and reward, and divert the pup into a more desirable behavior.

 

Channeling from undesireable behavior to desirable or acceptable behavior is a key - you can't tell a pup to not do something it wants to do if you don't give it something else it will enjoy doing, and expect to be successful. Use a ball, tug toy, activity, or something else to channel that energy positively. That's one reason I've never had a problem with a pup that wanted to "carry" its leash or even play tug on leash within reasonable limits.

 

A toy can be used in the same way, to occupy the pup's mouth while walking. Remember, though, that a toy alone has limited appeal - a toy that *you* and the pup play with has much more appeal.

 

Another response, since this is happening during walks, is that you simply stop dead in your tracks and do not move. The movement you are making is oftentimes what triggers the excitement and nipping response. If he learns that nipping in response to your movement results in an end to the movement (and the fun of the walk), that will reinforce that the nipping is not rewarding.

 

If these sorts of responses do not work, you may need to be more assertive about getting the point across that the behavior is not acceptable. There have been a lot of topics on here about nipping, and you might try a search to find some and read them for more ideas and informaton.

 

Best wishes!

[cmtst2]

Per the cradle hold thing ... I'd say don't do it any more. He's getting too old for that, and border collies in particular are sensitive to things they consider stress or pressure. Being turned on his back is an extremely vulnerable position and as he gets older, it may be starting to freak him out. So, stop it. You won't be doing that to him when he's full grown and weighs 40+ pounds, so respect his person and don't ask him to do things that are unnecessary and uncomfortable for him. He's not a squishy toy. ;)/>/>

 

 

LOL...I wish you had told me that sooner as they don't always stop. My 6 year old, 56lb male still pounces me on the couch, lays on my lap on his back fully extended and DEMANDS I rub his belly for a long time.