I need help with 3 month old Rhodesian puppy. She is very nippy and growls and whines when directed to do anything. I just started to lie her down on her side until she calms down. It is quite a struggle. I am looking for recommendations. I've watched the Pack and leadership video and have her in the crate or on a leash at all times,but it doesn't address what's going on. I would consider her a "hard" dog.

Please help

Hi Theodore,

She nips you and growls when asked to do something, like what? (Details will help us.)

You are alpha rolling her? Did someone suggest that to you? :-(

Is this your first dog? First puppy?

How long have you ad her? Is she new to your house?

Hi and welcome!!!

We were having sort of the same problem with my daughter's high drive doxie 8 month old pup. He didn't growl, but was a little land shark.
I realized that he was much higher drive than we had thought and adjusted accordingly.
We put him in puppy boot camp...its different than adult pack structure stuff.....buy the raising puppies video.
We went to nothing in life is free.
We started exercising him 4 times a day for about half to 3/4 mile brisk walk at her side..not in front.
She started marker training him for agility. Keeping the mind busy.
She started playing with him with retrieving toys and tugs..careful about the tugging..I've trained PPD and know what to do with them...I don't recommend them for every one. Ed has a great video about training with the tug.
That ought to get you started.
It's an indirect approach, and the pup had to prove he could not chew on her before he was rewarded with play.
The exercise is what really turned it around...that and giving him an outlet for the prey drive.
Willie

I have the puppy video, Pack Leadership, and Marker videos. If my problems are in there i've missed them.

This is not my first dog, I've had many such as a Bullmastiff (deceased), and English Bulldog (just died), but this is my first Rhodesian Ridgeback. She was bought from a good breeder and comes from a good line of show dogs. I met the breeder and her own dogs as well as the parents of our dog several times. Her dogs are quite nice. She is my first dog to show this temperament. We've had the dog for 1 month. She is healthy and a good weight and currently on a raw diet. She is being crate trained and kept on a leash when out.

I take her out several times a day for play, exercise, and limited training such as loose leash walking, sit, down, and recall with marker training. When out of the crate she quickly becomes a problem. I quickly try to redirect her to a toy for tug but she begins to nip and it becomes a problem. I've ordered the tug video so I don't do it much yet as don't know enough about it. I will then grab her by the scruff and lift her to get her to stop. She will stop for a bit and then continue. I have progressed this to what I feel is a level 7 correction. I do not shake her. It is becoming a real problem just to enjoy the dog. The sit and down are currently done inside with no distraction. She will perform these behaviors a few times and then become belligerent. She will wine and bark and then nip and growl. I am at a loss as to what to do next. I take her out of the crate and outside enough that she is busy and gets tired so I don't believe she is too bored.

The alpha role was suggested by "reputable" a trainer that my wife hired to do 4 weekly sessions. She came over today for the third time and noticed the behavior was still there and said the dog has not received enough discipline. When Moxie started up she placed her on her side and held her there for quite awhile until she calmed down. She recommended I do this whenever this aggressive behavior appears. After viewing this site and listening to Ed I know that this is not recommended.

Despite all this I don't feel she is a mean dog, but I am not doing something I should, and I don't want to do anything that will lessen her future potential.

Please help.

Gotcha.

Just to clarify, the problem is this, right? "When out of the crate she quickly becomes a problem. I quickly try to redirect her to a toy for tug but she begins to nip and it becomes a problem."


About this:
"The sit and down are currently done inside with no distraction. She will perform these behaviors a few times and then become belligerent."

How many is a few? How long is the session?

"Belligerent" means whining and nipping when commanded?


It sounds like a load of questions, but I'm trying to get a feel for what the trainer is calling "aggressive" behavior.

It would be great if you could just jot down a normal day's schedule for the pup, too.

I know that you will get help here (we have lots of very experienced puppy folks here, including Willie), and a clear picture will be very useful.

A few is 3 or 4 times in less than 2 minutes. My sessions are no more than 4-5 minutes.

Belligerent means she is biting/nipping and a PITA.

Aggressive (maybe the wrong word) behavior is the biting, whining, barking and inability to be calm.

Hey Theodore, instead of re-direct, think more like being pre-emptive. If she doesnt like to tug enough, thats not going to help you at this point. Maybe she likes to chase. Throw something. Be prepared to engage her with the activity she likes when you take her out instead of trying to follow some directions that she couldnt care less about.

Hi Theodore and welcome!
Sounds like you've got a good pup there.

Nipping and biting (mouthing behavior) is pretty normal in a pup that has any amount of drive. You are doing the right thing by redirecting. One tip for redirecting is to make whatever you are using as a distraction more interesting than your hands or pantlegs, by giving it some movement.

The alpha role (roll) business is not a great idea. It might work temporarily, but it will do nothing for the bond you are developing with your pup, and it also could be dangerous when she gets to be 90 lbs.

Exactly how much exercise is she getting and what type?

It's helpful in the house to keep a drag line on, so that you can redirect with the line when she starts mouthing. The scruff shake never worked for my pup, and again, it does nothing for the bond you are building. When she starts getting mouthy there are a couple of things you can do:

Take her outside and get her good and tired...this will alleviate a lot of the mouthiness.

If that's not possible, move right into a fun marker session. Occupying her brain will divert her from the mouthiness also. If she still persists, take hold of the drag line and redirect her calmly off you. If she won't calm down, put her in her crate with a stuffed kong or something else to chew on.

It's unrealistic to expect a 3 month old pup to be calm all the time in the house, but as you will read here on old posts, 'A tired pup is a good pup'!

Theodore,
My first thought is try doing something like just some mindless play sessions. Kick the ball around, chase after each other. He/she wants to possess a toy, shrug pick up another toy get her/him interested in that one. Keep it loose and fun, ya know, just mindless play.

In the mean time you can be imprinting all kinds of stuff. From recalls to sits and releases...downs, heels, blah blah blah.

Give em some outlet for the energy, try some mindless play.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Noah Rosewater
M & M Enterprises

First order of business is to knock off the alpha roll/pinning crap. dog was bred to put LIONS in check, use redirection and marker training. Positive only training for the first six months. Burn off some of that puppy energy with tugs and running.