[k/c mom]

If when she bites at your leg you say "ouch" or "no" then she has gotten your attention, which is what she wants. Just ignore her and I bet she will stop. Catcher used to grab the bottom of my nightgown or bite at my house shoes and I just kept walking and ignored him and he quit doing it.... just a thought....

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by mylittlebella@Jan 10 2005, 07:25 PM
For example, today I came home for lunch and I was in the kitchen making a sandwich.  When I went to the dining table, and there was Bella waiting for me right next to her pee.  As soon as she saw me she ran under the table.  It's like a game to her.  She knows she's in trouble but she likes being in trouble for the attention.

That is probably why the "experts" always say to ignore them if they have "gone" where they aren't supposed to and you don't actually see them do it. They say to not do anything at that point and to not let the dog see you clean it up. Why not try that for a while... when she does something to get your attention, do the opposite and ignore her... believe me... ignoring her will get HER attention and she'll quit the bad behavior. It works for me.....

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by msmagnolia@Jan 11 2005, 02:07 PM
Good for you for getting some help NOW.  We learned the hard way with a cocker spaniel that you have to have control.  We treated her like a baby and she ruled our house.  I was even kind of scared of her when she was snappy.  I swore that when she died I would NEVER have another dog.  It wasn't long before we were looking for our bichon but this time we did the research and made sure that we were the alpha at all times.  I've never had one minutes trouble from her.  We are doing the same with our puppies.  Our methods are positive.  We relied heavily on the Monks of New Skete.  Please post after the trainer has been there.  I'd really be interested to know what they have to say.
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The same exact thing happened to me and Rosebud was snappy, too! My first Maltese was my first puppy and after the first day or two she turned in to Cujo and I didn't have a clue what to do! I was so discouraged that I almost gave her to a friend. It can be so overwhelming to have a puppy and not know how to deal with his/her issues.So, like in your case, she became the alpha... she was my beloved baby... but still alpha! I have learned so much since then... but gosh it's been 14 years.

I also used the Monks of New Skete books. The Art of Raising a Puppy was not yet published, which is written by a former monk. I went back to the book recently and noticed that it talks about the alpha rollover and alpha shake but everything I've seen recently says not to do those techniques. I must admit, they didn't work for me at all. I didn't feel right doing them anyway and I swore I'd never use them on another dog. I was glad to see that they are out of favor now. Just as with raising children, etc., new techniques come in to vogue and others go out.

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by msmagnolia@Jan 11 2005, 04:12 PM
I can't find my copy of the book.  We didn't use any physical punishment but I can't honestly remember if that was in there or not.  What I recall that we did was a lot of bonding stuff with Jolie to make her part of our pack, but to insure that she knew that she was lower in the pack than the rest of us.  I wish I could find the copy.
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I'll be glad to look up anything for you... just let me know. The alpha roll and alpha shake aren't physical punishment... I would never ever do that... the alpha roll is where you roll them on their back and look them in the eye and the alpha shake is where you pick them up under the front paws and bring them to eye level and look them in the eye... in both cases the dog is supposed to turn away from you first, showing that you are alpha. It never worked for me and something about it just didn't feel "right."

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by JMM@Jan 11 2005, 09:30 PM
The BEST ever book for a new puppy owner is Jean Donaldson's The Culture Clash. It has a nice, simple explanation of learning theory and explains lots of misconceptions about training dogs. She also has step by step for training basic behaviors.

Relationship building changes like Nothing in Life is Free will give you better results and make life a lot more pleasant.
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Jackie, thanks so much for the info on the book. I just now ordered it from Amazon! It'll arrive by Friday... in time to read while on my trip.... Yea!!