There's a lot going on here, but nothing new to most of you, so let me start from the beginning.

At the beginning of April, we did not have a dog. We had been thinking about getting a dog for years, but waited due to no house, then waited because of a baby, then waited because a friend was going to breed his Mal and we were hoping for a pup from that, which did not happen, then could not find a suitable rescue, etc etc. I would personally be happy with a rescue of any working breed, Collies, Labs, Rotts or Pits, Hubby wanted a GSD or a Malinois. No older than 2 years, period.

I hopped on Craigslist one morning, I usually check a couple of times a month if there's anything interesting in the pets section. German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois puppies, in the next town over. Pinching myself. Seriously? Sent the link over to hubby, sure that for some reason like the 15 or so other links I've sent him, he won't be currently interested.

That night we have a puppy. Last one. Male, fawn. Turns out the inadvertent BYB never intended to breed his GSD male to his Mal female, I presume they were being kenneled separately. They just 'got together' as he put it. Guy charged us an insanely LOW price for the puppy. He's only 6 weeks old.

Puppy is very quiet at first, pretty good about pottying outside. After a couple of days, walking down the hallway turns your leg into a bite toy. Our almost 3-year old is squealing and running away! The puppy thinks this is awesome! There is usually a blanket trailing behind which makes it even more fun.

We all start watching training videos. Cesar Millan, first. I do my best to be calm-assertive but by god, all my corrections are met with a toothy grin and gnawing! This turns ME into a mouthy female dog, I really hate being chewed on. Time goes by and we have the basic obedience started (currently about 70% compliant on sit, 40% on down, working on more) but the pup is not responding to my corrections AT ALL, they just seem to make him less submissive and gear him up. A family member buys us an E-Collar. A shock collar, really? Ok. Turns out he responds VERY well to the warning tone when not in great distraction, and not bad to low stem in distraction. We started working with the E-Collar about 2 weeks ago. Our son learns NOT to run from the dog and starts disciplining him in German (hehehehe).

I'm still worried because my corrections seem to be turning the pup into a belligerent little prick, in regards to our relationship. He's pretty good for hubby, for me? Ehh. Doesn't think I'm worth listening to. One night by the back door, I see the monster he could be, whites around the eyes, growling, snarly and lunging at me because he does not want to go inside and leave that scent he's savoring. We have this happen at least 3 times. I am completely into physical correction, getting worried I'm overdoing it. Making a habit at this point to keep the E-collar on most of the time. I express that I'm worried I'm going to ruin his drive by over-reacting or over-correcting.

Hubby sends me on over to the leerburg site, as we're interested in training him for personal protection, if his personality/genetics lends to it. I start reading the articles in earnest. Start playing tug games with this puppy. Suddenly he is happily rolling over and doing whatever the heck I ask him to, including not chasing the cats. 1 week of tug.

Yep, he's still got a 30 second attention span and I, we, do have to correct frequently - however I am no longer tempted to smack him so hard he slides down the hallway. He's usually worked/tired out within 20 minutes of us getting back to the house.

One thing I am working on currently - he is hesitant to walk on a lead away from the house with me. Not hesitant with Hubby. Not hesitant when we're headed towards the house. My best method right now is to take a tug toy with me, rile him up with it, run him away from the house and do a good tug when we get to one end of our walk area, do the same at the other end and head back - I am feeling like we partially have a confidence issue here, and partially a ME issue - any suggestions welcome. Cute puppy pictures in a bit.

 Quote: Kristin Muntz

Yep, he's still got a 30 second attention span and I, we, do have to correct frequently - however I am no longer tempted to smack him so hard he slides down the hallway.

SERIOUSLY?!!!

Wanting to smack the pup so hard that he slides down the hall?!!!

If I were that pup, I wouldn't want to go anywhere with you either.

You don't deserve to have any animal...maybe a gold fish...but not sure about that either.

You DON"T correct puppies...you control them & their environment. Their babies. They have the attention span of a knat. You redirect them to appropriate toys & behaviors & you play with & love them. You build a relationship with them from love, trust & leadership. None of which it seems you have done here. Only corrections & cruelty.

< BIG SIGH >

Poor pup deserves better.

You need to learn about marker training, having the pup tethered to you & PATIENCE!! You need to start reading & learning for the sake of that pup or find it a new home!

Wondering if maybe you did not read the post and only focused on the fact that I said I had the urge to hit him. I did NOT hit him hard enough to make him slide. I was scared my frustration with his lack of response to my corrections would make me lose my temper, hence my reaching out for as many training resources as possible.

Yes, the attention span of a gnat.. 30 seconds.

Also, let me clarify - there is constantly play here. I posted most about what I had concern with - the puppy is played with until he doesn't want to play anymore. Balls thrown, things given to chew on, petting when he's calm and doesn't want to chew us to death. If you have some mental image of a puppy cringing in fear on the floor you seem to be missing the entire point of the post. He wasn't scared, he just didn't care.

What matters is his perception Kristen. Your correction could be minor in your eyes, but a holey shit she's attacking me in his little noggin. It could be that what you think is he doesnt care, is actually avoidance, which is nothing good either.

"Wondering if maybe you did not read the post "


I read the whole post.



This is a puppy who was 6 weeks old sometime in April? This puppy has on an E-COLLAR? (QUOTE: "not bad to low stem in distraction")

He is being corrected by a three-year-old?

This blows me away with this baby dog: "Making a habit at this point to keep the E-collar on most of the time." I almost thought this had to be a fake post.

I agree 100% that you need to stop just about everything you are doing and spend some time reading about puppies here.

" I really hate being chewed on." Then what made you decide to take a 6-week-old puppy? I know I sound like I'm humanizing, but I'm trying to tell you that you took an infant dog and slapped an e-collar on him when he did what baby dogs DO.

"I am feeling like we partially have a confidence issue here, and partially a ME issue - any suggestions welcome." You have a you-issue that is going to destroy this puppy, (never mind for PPD .... I mean in general) and all hopes of an owner-pup bond.

Separate this baby dog from the human baby. Stop thinking about PPD.

No, you do NOT "correct frequently." Again, you have a baby here. You manage. You tether. You re-direct.

Put the e-collar AWAY.

You'll get help here, and you need it .... now.

Hold on.

E-Collar is not being used for correction by the 3-year old - he's not allowed to touch it.
The 3-year old tells the dog 'Nein' when the dog is trying to jump on him.

So, you do not tell a puppy 'no', ever? That's what I'm talking about, in correction.

First level - you tell the dog no and attempt to redirect.
Second level, you attempt to redirect and if the dog persists you give a warning tone. This gets his attention 95% of the time.

I am having a hard time believing that noone here ever tells their puppy no.

Lol, start over. From you descriptions, its sounds like you're being a lot more physical than just saying no.

see my question was answered

I read exactly what you wrote ...I didn't say that you did that, only discussed that you wanted to. Now you say that you DID hit him, but just not hard enough to send him down the hall?

If you have such little understanding of the needs of this pup & what makes him tick & how to work with him....you should not even remotely consider ANY kind of bite work training with this dog. It is way out of your level of training ability.

There are plently of articles here with info on leadersip with a puppy, marker training, obedience training etc. Lots of video clips also. You have tons to lean...start reading & watching.

There is no place for frustration in training, especially with a puppy. If you don't have the patience or presence of mind to work with him...but him in his crate where he is safe & walk away.

By your tactics you are pushing this puppy into feeling that he needs to protect himself from you & or lash out because of all the corrections that he is getting many of which may not be fair in his eyes...neither of which is a nice place for a puppy to be with his owner. If this continues he will eventually be big enough to do some damage to you.