Just like the terrible twos!

G

gsalem

Forums Regular
I saw SheltieChe's thread about Che being a "teenager" and had to post about my Duncan. He isn't quite being a teenager - he's only 6 months on 11/9 but he can sure throw a temper tantrum. When I took him to the vets for his first visit after adopting him from rescue (second week in Sept), the vet tried to look at his mouth and Duncan had a temper tantrum and started throwing his body around. It was almost like he was stomping his feet. Since then I've been handling his mouth - he still wont open up for me yet- and treating him when I do. He will throw a tantrum when I don't let him walk in the direction he wants to walk too. He literally throws himself on the ground and keeps looking at me to see if I'm going to give in. When he realizes that I'm not going to do what he wants, he'll calmly get up and walk with me. It's so funny but I also realize that I have to make sure and not let him get his way too often or I won't be able to do anything with him. It's hard to not let him have his own way- he's so durn cute.
Thank goodness we started basic obedience 4 weeks ago. He's already paying better attention to me. His little tantrums might be because he's deaf. I don't know, but my other sheltie never had any tantrums when she was growing up - she's female so maybe it's a gender thing? My other rescue boy I had was 3 when I adopted him and I didn't see any tantrums from him either.
 
You might want to consider hand feeding for a little while. This way your pup will get used to the notion of your hand being around his mouth while it's open.

As for the temper tantrums, I think all pups throw them from time to time. I don't really have any suggestions other than hold your ground on that front. Shelties learn pretty quickly what's acceptable and what's not. Though it might be difficult coming up with a "no-no" command for a deaf dog, well not coming up with the command but administering it when he's not paying attention. And at 6 months a pup isn't going to be paying attention often.

I think it will be rather challenging for you to train a deaf pup though. I'm going to include a few links in case you haven't seen them to websites that have information about deaf dogs, how to train them, problems you may run into and how to conquor them.

One suggestion I did see on the websites was that a vibrating collar might help you get your deaf dogs attention. Though you'd probably have to wait till he was a larger dog as the collars tend to be pretty heavy.

http://www.deafdogs.org
http://www.deafdogs.org/training/

http://www.dogtrainingclassroom.com/deaf-dog-training.html

http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/articles/training-deaf-dogs/10727

http://www.wagntrain.com/deaf_dog.htm (towards the end there is a suggestion on scent games I thought was intresting)

I hope this helps you out.
 
Thank you for all your suggestions! Hand feeding is a great idea. I've read a lot of pros and cons about the vibrating collar. Right now he doesn't get very far away so I was thinking I might not need it but I should probably do some more research on them. I have been to the deafdogs.org site but not the others and I do appreciate them.
thank you!
 
OMGosh..we have the same here with Mia.I ca'nt even begin to examine what is going on in her mouth,unless I give her something to chew on,and look real quick.

And forget handling her head or ears.It's not good.Her thrashing is not only dangerous,but she could hurt herself in the process.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciate.This is the #1 issue we have with her.

I was trying what we did with Jasper.At one time when he was very young,he would start thrasihng as we would put him down on the floor,or try to do anything close (holding him)He would throw himself and wriggle so.
so I gently just held him close until the squirring stopped.and it worked like a charm.
So far..not working with Mia.Any ideas?
 
jerros said:
You might want to consider hand feeding for a little while. This way your pup will get used to the notion of your hand being around his mouth while it's open.

As for the temper tantrums, I think all pups throw them from time to time. I don't really have any suggestions other than hold your ground on that front. Shelties learn pretty quickly what's acceptable and what's not. Though it might be difficult coming up with a "no-no" command for a deaf dog, well not coming up with the command but administering it when he's not paying attention. And at 6 months a pup isn't going to be paying attention often.

I think it will be rather challenging for you to train a deaf pup though. I'm going to include a few links in case you haven't seen them to websites that have information about deaf dogs, how to train them, problems you may run into and how to conquor them.

One suggestion I did see on the websites was that a vibrating collar might help you get your deaf dogs attention. Though you'd probably have to wait till he was a larger dog as the collars tend to be pretty heavy.

http://www.deafdogs.org
http://www.deafdogs.org/training/

http://www.dogtrainingclassroom.com/deaf-dog-training.html

http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/articles/training-deaf-dogs/10727

http://www.wagntrain.com/deaf_dog.htm (towards the end there is a suggestion on scent games I thought was intresting)

I hope this helps you out.
Click to expand...

Thank you..I will be taking a look at them.I already am a regular on Deafdogs.org.
 
Oh my gosh. Ember, bi blue female, had massive temper tantums as a pup. I seriously was ready to give her away to the first person who asked.

I would set her on the table and put my hands on her shoulders. Firm but not squeezing her and then I would move one hands up to the neck and stop and praise. Then the head, then the muzzle. At the first, sign of a tantum I would halt my hands but never take them off her and go back to the last place she allowed and praise(treat),massage and pet then move back towards the problem area but not as far. One reward was to let her go. I would never put her on the ground if she was acting up. I would just firmly but gentlely hold her around the shoulder until she calmed down and then put her down. Ember does not like being held to your body or squeeze so the pressure of your hold had to be just hard enough to hold her and lighten the second she didn't wiggle. Go slow and don't jerk your hands back and forth or on and off of them. With the mouth, I try to start at the corners of the mouth and work forward and move my hand under the chin then the side and then the thumb on the top rather then whole hand on top of the muzzle right away. I use this with puppies everyday and get really good exams on 9 out of 10 young puppies.

She would also throw tantums when walking and I would just ignore her and wait for her to finish and then go on my way. Your right once they realize that you won't react to the behavior, the behavior fades. The key is never react or redirect it before they get into the tantum part.
 
Gibbs is much more passive aggressive then all of your puppies! He doesn't throw outward tantrums, he just pretends I don't exist. If I'm giving him commands, he will look away. I can be right in front of him, and he'll still turn his head away. When he is paying attention and I give him a command, he will stare me down and sloooooooooooooowly do what i ask. If we're walking and he doesn't want to go, he will do the butt plant on the ground, paws braced and then looks away from me. Bad puppies!
 
Ginny still tries to struggle when we put her down. Its MUCH better than when she was a pup but its something we've never been able to fully break her of. We used the hugging technique that MBFrench mentioned.

Ginny also threw temper tantrums as a pup but she gradually grew out of it. She threw tantrums for a variety of reasons, mainly when she wasn't getting her way. She was a pup that could not be allowed to get away with anything. She was constantly trying to push our buttons.

Sadie had a real problem with having her face touched in general when she was a pup. She would immediately go into panic mode. Not sure why, the breeder was great about handling the pups, including face touching and opening their mouths.

What broke Sadie of it was I hugged her to me and gently placed my hand over her muzzle. She tried thrashing around for a few seconds, let out a huge whimper/sigh, then that was it. She suddenly realized she wasn't being killed and stopped squirming. Touching her face and opening her mouth were never issues again.
 
Che did same tantrums when he did not want to walk in that direction- he would lay on the ground- "you can't make me" attitude... I had to pick him up, walk few steps in my direction and then he would follow...
do not let him get away with murder...
Practice a lot control games- watch me and targeting, also leave it and variations of it- walk past treats on the floor, putting treat in your hand and close it every time until dog sits calmly and waits for you to give it to him, sit for every reward they get.
 
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