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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Ev lives the Lower Mainland of Beautiful British Columbia, Canada where she has been training dogs since 1969. She is experienced in many methods including clicker and motivational training. Ev is an original Superdog Performance Team member and her own dogs have travelled and performed with the Canadian SuperDogs since 1984. She has also served as an A.A.C. judge ans is an original Member/Trainer with the Dogwood Pacesetters Agility Club.
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[Edit]
4/28/2006
Hi, I have a new 10 week old puppy that I just brought home yesterday. She is tiny, 2.5 lbs! Anyway, she is obsessed with our feet. From day one she jumps up no matter what she's doing so she can chase our feet as we walk across the house. Of course it's cute but I want to break her of this immediately because she's going to get hurt. She runs right in front of our feet and she's so little we have to be so careful not to step on her when she's doing this. Any suggestions as to how to nip this in the bud or might she grow out of it? (sumlinpair, California)
LOL
Sorry for laughing but you just got her home 'yesterday' - yes, you need to nip it in the bud but you also have to give her some time to adjust to her new environment and your routines and rules. Patience is definitely needed here.
I assume she is a smaller breed but in any case the suggestion I have would be the same no matter what breed.
In the meantime, when she goes after your feet - 'Stop', lean over and give her a deep, short growl (like a mother dog would do when her pups get in her face)...
Then continue on and if she charges again, stop again and make the growl a little louder and sharper but not longer ... then continue on ... if she continues to charge at your feet or pant legs then you need to 'snap' at her, (one short burst of a growl and a snap of your teeth).
[You'll probably find for the next few days, t
hat it takes a good 10 minutes just to get to the kitchen with all the stop'n'go training - it'll get better]
If she stops chasing your feet, you need to calmly and in a soft voice tell her "Good Girl." but be prepared to jump back with a growl again if she starts up again.
It is unlikely she will out-grow this without guidance or rules - thus the growling and snapping. Some trainers disagree with this method because they believe that people should not lower themselves to the animals level but I have found it to be most effective in communicating my intentions without raising my voice, physical punishment or the common 'time-out' theory.
Another thing I would do is to pick her up, every once in awhile, and give her a good sniff. Sounds weird but it is also effective in showing your dominance. With short bursts of inhaling/exhaling through the nose, gently cover the muzzle, ears, cheeks, eyes and top of head with gentle sniffs. Watch her reaction ... most puppies freeze while the process is happening or gently try to lick your face. This is their submissive response in accepting you as the elder or alpha.
It need not be done everyday - maybe twice a week for the next month. By then, pack order should be established and you can go onto the next phase of training and socializing.
If you have any trouble understanding the methods I have described here, feel free to contact me privately for a more through explanation.
Canine Caretaker Training/Consulting
http://www.k9care.ca
"United We Stand."
http://www.standunited.ca
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