Hi all, I am new to this board and this is my first post. I have a 14 wk rotti pup, she is a really good pup, but I have a couple of problems that I really need some help with. Im getting frustrated with her and myself, and I dont want to do that. first, she likes to sit and stare at me and just bark at me. Ill tell her quiet, and shell ignore me, and keep barking . I try to grab her musle and say quit, but she sees me coming and runs around the kitchen table. By the time I get her Its to late to correct her. shes to quick for me to catch, and she has out smarted me on this one.

second , I have a gate to keep her in the kitchen. The way my house is built ,I cant have one of those gates that tighten up to the wall.I have stairs that are in the way. I just have part of a puppy pen that I use to seperate the rooms. She knows how to swing it open, so shes constantly pulling it open to try and get out. Again, I tell her no, shell ignore me and when I try to grab her , she sees me coming and she runs around the table to get away from me. Again By the time I get to her it is to late to correct her.
One part of the problems with the gate thing is I dont even what to even call it when Im telling her, no dont touch the gate.. No gate , off! Off what? She obieously doesnt know what Im talking about when Im telling her no. I could really use some help with this. Im getting frustrated. thanks.

What you have is a failure to communicate. One of the better ways to learn to communicate effectively with a dog is clicker training.
You also need to read this article
http://www.leerburg.com/dominac2.htm
I also suggest getting the puppy training video from this site.

You may also want to read this article
http://www.leerburg.com/groundwork.htm

Sounds like she's bored, full of energy, and it's WAY more fun to annoy you and have you chase her around the house then sit and be quiet.

The only way I was able to really get a grasp on my pups intelligence and energy levels was to REALLY increase the amount of exercise she was getting. And the training. And the going out on drives, walks, hikes, socialization, training.

I found that I could spend the day yelling, correcting, reprimanding and being annoyed. Or I could spend a few hours a day really wearing out my pup mentally and physically. So when we were in the house, she would (at best) fall asleep. And (at worst) have energy still but be willing to listen and learn because I had gotten the 'bouncing off the walls' energy off her so she could focus and learn.

I found I had to plan my pups exercise and socialization EXACTLY the way I would my childrens scouts, band, kayate, ballet, WHATEVER. I plan it out. I write it on the calendar. And we go.

One of the things to think about is getting a crate. The other is if you give something value they are likely to continue the behavior. If I were a bored puppy and I discovered that stareing and barking got me a game of chase I would do it all day. If you are busy during the day a crate keeps her from getting in trouble. I would want the stareing for my obedience so I would not punish her for that. I hope this helps

I'm a newb here too, but in what I've seen in the videos and also where Ed pointed me for similar problems was what Michele Moore said in the groundwork article.

My puppy is on-leash even in the house. He's on leash all the time. This totally prevents him/her from turning a bad behavior into a game because if he's on leash, and you're on the other end--there will be no running off. You are in control.

HTH.

Originally posted by jeff oehlsen:
If I were a bored puppy and I discovered that stareing and barking got me a game of chase I would do it all day. BINGO, often we train our animals and don't even know it.

hi kathy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> i am new also and also new to training. luckily i ran into leerburg the first search i did to find out about german shepard puppies. that was 4 months ago when my little girl was only 8 weeks old. i immediately purchased leerburgs "your puppy 8 weeks to 8 months" and "basic dog obedience" on cd. after watching them about 20 times (giggle), i'm finally getting it! ginger is 6 months old now and while she still has issues and still tries to get away with things, it is getting to the point where all i have to do is give her a "look" and she knows immediately whats happening. i only wish i would have watch these training cds when my son was born (24 years ago)!! yes, i'm kidding (a little) but really the basic message is the same. 1) always a "fair and balanced" consequense (sp?) for incorrect behavior 2) consistancy 3) clear communication of expectations and last but not lease 4) lots of love. really, i highly recommend the cds. and don't give up! it is taking alot of work to train "me"!