Uh oh... I think she's neurotic!
She barks at my next door neighbors whom she's met a hundred times, she barks and pees in the back of the truck (with a camper shell) every time we take her somewhere, she is incredibly food, toy and bed aggressive with our 2 year old very submissive mut, she seems much more excitible than any puppy I've ever had and cries and "freaks out" at every little noise or movement around her. I'm sure there's more, but you get the point. She is only 4 1/2 months and if these behaviours can be corrected with normal training then I am all for it, but I am afraid that she may need more help than I can provide. What do you all think? THANK YOU so much to everyone who contributes to this website, it is so very helpful! |
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| She sounds like a normal puppy in need of calm clear training. Food and toy aggression....can be trained out of her but with a trainer's help. CALM training will overcome this. Trucks are scarey places. Training begins 5 minutes at a time. Being a herding dog she is herding the traffic. I'd suggest Cesar Milan's books or, better, videos to teach you how to be calm in training. Many here don't like his training techniques, but he is great at showing you, you are often the cause of the problem. Become calm and assertive then a trainer can do wonders with individual instruction. |
SheepieBoss wrote: She sounds like a normal puppy in need of calm clear training.. Yikes! If this is what people think OES puppies are supposed to be like we're all in trouble  I'm not saying she's irredeemable, but this sounds way over the top when it comes to normal puppy behavior.Some of it can be overcome with training and increased socialization, some of it will probably always be a management issue. My rescue dog is like this in some, but not all, ways. She was surrendered at ten months old and she's going on 4 and has improved a lot, but is still not what I would consider a normal OES; there is a genetic component and that is the part that is difficult to overcome (hardwiring). Oh, well, I love her anyway. With the noise sensitivity coupled with reactivity you might want to find her a some gainful employment. I use agility training for my rescue dog - it gives her an outlet for her excessive nervous energy, builds confidence and gets her out and about. Your girl's still a bit young for that, but do you have any good training classes (manners, maybe?) near you? Her age is in her favor, as in better to try to interrupt and redirect some of these behavioral patterns now before they get too ingrained. Have you contacted her breeder? The person needs to know and will hopefully be able to help you as well. Not to say puppies don't occasionally remind you of the tasmanian devil: my Sybil had an outburst like that at five weeks old - I'd never seen it before in a puppy - which is why she is MY Sybil  I put her on the grooming table and she decided to express her displeasure of being brushed in a most inappropriate and LOUD way. Not.  Kristine |
| I agree with getting her into classes. It is also extremely important that you are consistant with the training. You need to devote the time to the training and not just on training night. Puppies are WOLVES in puppy clothing and require time and effort and they need a strong alpha. A firm but gentle hand. I really liked the training at PetSmart vs others I looked at. Praise was a really big deal along with treats. We had races, relays and other fun stuff things plus going to other areas with different distractions. Check it out. Good Luck. Nancy |
| The difficult behaviors you're seeing now may become more challenging as she grows older and larger. Dogs figure out what works pretty quickly if left to their own devices... this can be a good thing or a not so good thing. If you haven't started training yet, it's a great time to begin. Puppies are little sponges that absorb things very quickly if you keep training sessions brief... say 1-3 minutes at first and repeated several times during the day. Sticking with one command until that one is understood, then adding another. Can you sign up for puppy classes? Training strengthens the bond between dog and owner and it can be fun! Mine all love it because of the treats! Encouraging calm behavior around and calm interactions with her may help some. Not responding to the things that frighten her may also help her to learn that the thing that frightened her shouldn't be a worry. Encouraging her to investigate safe things that frighten her is also beneficial unless it's beyond her ability to do so... slowing things down if that's the case. Working to desensitize her to some of these things may eventually help her be a better companion. I have a dog that has a noise sensitive nature... he arrived that way and it's just something we continue to work with. I'll probably never get him past it but I can help him to be at least a little less reactive. He's a totally wonderful dog! Like us, each dog is an individual with it's abilities and limits. You might try placing a crate in the back of the truck that has something in it for traction. And place the crate so it stays in one spot and doesn't shift/slide. Just wondering if she's peeing because she doesn't feel secure and maybe slides/slips in the truck bed? Barking at the neighbors happens here too. They want to go see them but the window or fence prevents it so they bark. Teaching "enough/quiet" or whatever command you use to stop the barking helps. Shaking a penny can may also help... I put coins in an empty quart paint can and shake it to get their attention. The resource guarding takes time but better behavior can be encouraged by setting realistic limits, supervision and teaching her that good things happen when her doggy-brother/sister is around. She's still just a puppy but it's imperative to work through these things while she's young. And, yup... speak with the breeder too for guidance. This is a bump in the road but one that can probably be worked through/around to help her be an even better companion. |
| Thank you everyone for the quick replies, my husband is about 2 seconds away from re-homing her, but if this is something that can be turned around then that's what we want to do. Unfortunately I live in a small town that isn’t very close to any “big” town with dog trainers, but my friend recommended Don Sullivan’s The Perfect Dog, which we just ordered last week. I know he’s controversial, but our other dog needs this type of training, he is a stubborn butt-head that is NOT food or praise motivated. I’m just not sure about using it for our OES. She ALWAYS comes on command and learned to stay off the couch, not to nip the baby, etc very quickly. It just seems like she is way too excited to focus most of the time. My husband runs her up a small mountain 4 days a week and I take them to the dog park the other 3 days, but I think you all are right about needing to do actually “work”. This may be a stupid question, but can you just “toss” them in a field with some sheep? Or do they need some type of training to herd? Again, thank you all for the wonderful help and suggestions. I will be sure to call the breeder today. |
<gulp> No, you don't want to toss them in with sheep. Someone can end up getting hurt. Herding is a cooperative effort - the dog has to be working FOR the handler, not for herself  The basis of herding is predicated on controlled prey drive and age old canid hunting behavior. Think of yourself and the dog as the pack, "hunting" together. The dog should want to bring the stock to you, the alpha, for the "kill", except, of course, there is no kill. It takes a lot of impulse control and the worst thing for an over the top puppy right now would be to just let her run amok among sheep and really make her think she's working for herself.  She could get hurt, and so, easily, could the sheep. Nose work may be something you could do on your own. An OES friend just sent me a link to one of her working sessions (as well as two lab class mates) It was fascinating to watch and apparently the dogs end up zonked afterwards because it is so mentally exhausting. That's what you want to take the edge off...something she can really put her mental abilities to work at (doesn't have to be nose work) If she gives me permission I'll post the link in the advanced behavior section - it's probably of more general interest. It's really encouraging that she learned to stay off the sofa and not nip the baby - so she IS biddable. Focus is something you can't expect much of from a baby dog her age. Though not getting hysterically over the top is not too much to demand. She obviously gets more than enough exercise, so it wouldn't be out of line to teach her an "off switch" - make the crate a really good and safe place to just chill out periodically? Some times baby dogs get overstimulated and overtired and start behaving badly because they're over the threshhold of what they can handle. Like an overtired toddler, perhaps? Different training methods work for different dogs. You use what works for you and your dogs. Kristine |
| We had some of these issues with Abbey. She had an assessment done at our local training school, after puppy classes, and she was in need of more socialization. The report was that she was trying to be the dominant dog, but didn't know how. Abbey has never been our barker, that's Dublin, but she did have some food aggression and specific toy aggression issues. The biggest thing that we were doing was allowing this little 6 month old puppy to run the show. She had to know who was in charge and to know what her boundaries were - and she did get crated, something that we did not do with Dublin. The two-year old had no interest in correcting her at all, she was more interested in trying to figure out a way to get rid of her for being in her house. It just takes a lot of patience and trying to figure out what exactly it is that triggers the puppy to act this way. Now, at a little over a year old, Abbey is my little sweet cuddle puppy that just melts to the floor (almost literally) when petted or given attention. And even though Dublin and Abbey were trained in relatively the same manner, the things that worked with Dublin did not with Abbey. Two different dogs with two completely different personalities. |
Thank you all for the help and suggestions!  Just wanted to send an update for future readers... I think our situation matched Heather32. My slightly older dog was such a pushover and my husband worked out of town a lot during the summer and I was so busy with the baby that she had no discipline. No dominate figure to tell her what’s ok and what’s not. Now that things have settled and both dogs are getting walked daily and CONSTANT attention from my now 9 months old (who my little OES absolutely adores and is so amazing with) she is doing wonderfully! She obeys commands and is always eager to please. She has almost NO “accidents”, which we realized only happened when my husband was home because she was trying to show submission. She is still a bit neurotic and barks in the back of the truck and at anything she is unfamiliar with, but I am soooooo glad we kept her because she is the sweetest, funniest, goofiest dog I’ve ever had.  Again, thanks for the help. |
| I am soooooo glad we kept her because she is the sweetest, funniest, goofiest dog I’ve ever had. hehe, pretty much sums up oes, although some are very smart and tricky and athletic superstars and actors and park guides and almost all are party animals.  |
| Yippee! So glad all is working out well. Jacqui |
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