 encouraging a puppy to be more independent
#136228 - 04/02/2007 08:07 AM |
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So, my puppy hasn't come home yet, but I spoke with the breeder lastnight who says she thinks her puppy evaluation was off on my pup. He was supposed to be an independent/aloof type, and now he's a little more...clingy. He's still aloof with strangers, but he doesn't like to be left alone and starts to cry in his crate after about 10 minutes.
I'm just wondering if there's anything I can do to encourage him to be a little more independent, or if I'm just going to have a clingy puppy? I normally tether puppies to my waist while they're young so I can keep an eye on them - is that okay or will that make him even more clingy?
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Re: encouraging a puppy to be more independent
[Re: Heather Williams ]
#136242 - 04/02/2007 09:08 AM |
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As long as he's still aloof to strangers then it seems to me like you might have a good dog.
I"m sorry Heather, I can't remember what kind of dog you're getting. If it's a GSD, they do tend to bond strongly to their owner and that's one of the great things about the breed. But regardless of the breed, a dog that is well-bonded to you will be much easier to train, IMO.
I also don't think it's abnormal for a really young puppy to not like being left alone. I think that's perfectly normal. I mean, if he hasn't even left the breeder yet, then he's still accustomed to being with his mother and littermates. Not surprising that he would cry. He'll get past it.
Carbon |
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Re: encouraging a puppy to be more independent
[Re: Amber Morgan ]
#136261 - 04/02/2007 09:47 AM |
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Hi Amber,
I don't mind a dog with a strong bond to me - I want that. I would definitely prefer that over a dog that's not interested in me. I just don't want a total velcro dog - but maybe that's normal for a puppy.
I'm getting a rhodesian ridgeback.
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Re: encouraging a puppy to be more independent
[Re: Heather Williams ]
#136263 - 04/02/2007 09:54 AM |
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Hmm. Well, I don't know what's normal in a RR, but I have a velcro dog and I really do believe that it makes a huge difference in his responsiveness to me, his protectiveness, and his attention during training or exercises. If I didn't have a velcro dog, I'd be wanting one.
When you're a good pack leader, your dog will follow you. It's what they do...follow the pack leader when he/she moves. And yes, from my own experience I would say that if you tether the dog to you, you will be more likely to have a dog that wants to be with you. That's one of the points of that exercise, actually.
Perhaps all you're hearing about from the breeder is a pup's normal reaction to being seperated from his littermates. If that's the case, the pup will bounce back. I think it's really hard to say at this stage in the game what kind of adult dog you'll end up with. So many variables.
Carbon |
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Re: encouraging a puppy to be more independent
[Re: Heather Williams ]
#136264 - 04/02/2007 09:54 AM |
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Heather, it's a personal decision of course, but I agree with what Amber said. Besides, the pup is probably just getting used to being crated, a completely new thing for such a young puppy. And on top of that, being left alone while in the crate...hell, I'd cry too. I REALLY don't see that as clingy (not that I personally think anything is wrong with clingy, I like clingy!), if that's the only thing the breeder is going by. Betcha it's just the unfamiliarity with the crate, being left, and him being so very young. Sounds normal to me.
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Re: encouraging a puppy to be more independent
[Re: Sandy Moore ]
#136267 - 04/02/2007 10:14 AM |
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You're probably right. I guess I'm just worried I'll end up with a dog that can't live without me - a nervous wreck velcro dog.
I mean, I have a vizsla who follows me from room to room, waiting outside the bathroom door whining kind of thing. He's a smart and fast learning dog, but I'd have to work pretty hard to teach him anything that requires him leaving my side. I'm planning on doing tracking with my ridgeback, which means he has to be willing to leave my side and go out in front.
I don't want to change my dog's personality, I just want to prevent an unhealthy attachment. I'm not saying the puppy is a nutcase for not wanting to be alone, I know it's normal to want to be with his people, to not like a crate at first, etc. I just want a confident dog that can work without being glued to my hip., and I just want to know how to keep him from becoming an unhealthy velcro dog.
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Re: encouraging a puppy to be more independent
[Re: Heather Williams ]
#136270 - 04/02/2007 10:31 AM |
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I am the first one to admit I know nothing about breeding and/or picking out pups. But everything I have read here says that if you choose a respectable breeder and tell him/her what kind of dog you want, the breeder will respond in kind. If Heather said she wanted an independent, somewhat spirited dog, I’m assuming that’s what the breeder picked out for her. Now, if the breeder said she may have been wrong about the pup’s personality, well…, couldn’t she may have been wrong? And wouldn’t a new/different puppy be better? More to Heather’s standards?
Don’t know, just asking – feel free to bash away. 
As you think, so shall you be. |
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Re: encouraging a puppy to be more independent
[Re: Jan Williamson ]
#136273 - 04/02/2007 10:42 AM |
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I am the first one to admit I know nothing about breeding and/or picking out pups. But everything I have read here says that if you choose a respectable breeder and tell him/her what kind of dog you want, the breeder will respond in kind. If Heather said she wanted an independent, somewhat spirited dog, I’m assuming that’s what the breeder picked out for her. Now, if the breeder said she may have been wrong about the pup’s personality, well…, couldn’t she may have been wrong? And wouldn’t a new/different puppy be better? More to Heather’s standards?
Don’t know, just asking – feel free to bash away.
Hi Jan,
I definitely don't want a different puppy. I'm already attached!  He has good drive, he's a sweet pup, I just want to make sure I don't raise a nervous wreck of a dog. For example, if I had a really independent pup, I would be working hard on our bond to make sure he wasn't totally indifferent to me! Now that I've got a clingy pup, I want to work on his ability to work a little more independently - because I don't want a dog who thinks he'll die if I leave the room.
Maybe I've picking the wrong words to convey my message - I only want to make sure my pup grows up to be a confident dog. I don't want him to constantly be worried about where I am and if I'm coming back or not.
So let me try this again: how can I build confidence in my pup?
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Re: encouraging a puppy to be more independent
[Re: Jan Williamson ]
#136275 - 04/02/2007 10:46 AM |
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You very well may be right, Jan. My question is what other things did the breeder see in the pup that changed from him first being determined to be independent to shortly becoming "clingy". Cause if it was just based on him being in the crate and alone, I wouldn't make a call on the dog's personality just based on that alone, not at such a young age and at such an early period of crate training.
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Re: encouraging a puppy to be more independent
[Re: Heather Williams ]
#136276 - 04/02/2007 10:50 AM |
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...So let me try this again: how can I build confidence in my pup? Training does that, so does calmness, leadership, exposure and neutralizing him to different environments, setting him up to succeed in every phase of training. Kind of like building confidence in our kids. 
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