Adopting a 9 month old Cavapoo, advice needed
Discussion
My 2p's worth.
Pick a set of single word commands and get everyone in the family to always use the same words.
Try and walk away from other dogs and distractions to start with.
Use a fixed lead and hold with right hand, take up slack with left hand and get him walking by your left hand side.
If he tries to go the wrong way or pulls, stop, turn, and walk the other way for a bit.
Praise good behaviour.
If you use treats, only give them as a reward and use sparingly.
Good luck.
P.S. Lovely looking dog!
Pick a set of single word commands and get everyone in the family to always use the same words.
Try and walk away from other dogs and distractions to start with.
Use a fixed lead and hold with right hand, take up slack with left hand and get him walking by your left hand side.
If he tries to go the wrong way or pulls, stop, turn, and walk the other way for a bit.
Praise good behaviour.
If you use treats, only give them as a reward and use sparingly.
Good luck.
P.S. Lovely looking dog!
He looks a lovely little chap, most important things for dogs are routine, excercise and socialisation. Its so important for a puppy to do and see as much as possible so as you've said, if he's been left for a long time that's really not good. He may need lots of reassurance if he's not been out much previously, take treats with you and reward and praise immediately when he's good. Maybe consider going to socialisation or training/obedience classes.
ctdctd said:
My 2p's worth.
Pick a set of single word commands and get everyone in the family to always use the same words.
Try and walk away from other dogs and distractions to start with.
Use a fixed lead and hold with right hand, take up slack with left hand and get him walking by your left hand side.
If he tries to go the wrong way or pulls, stop, turn, and walk the other way for a bit.
Praise good behaviour.
If you use treats, only give them as a reward and use sparingly.
Good luck.
P.S. Lovely looking dog!
I'd agree with that method, I had to train my steam train Spanish street dog to walk on a loose lead for his PAT assessment. I honestly didn't think that would be so successful so quickly. I started with loads of treats and then paired them back slightly. You can also mix your rewards with verbal praise, and physical rewards such as patting and chin scratches and toys. But reward reward reward is so important in everything. Pick a set of single word commands and get everyone in the family to always use the same words.
Try and walk away from other dogs and distractions to start with.
Use a fixed lead and hold with right hand, take up slack with left hand and get him walking by your left hand side.
If he tries to go the wrong way or pulls, stop, turn, and walk the other way for a bit.
Praise good behaviour.
If you use treats, only give them as a reward and use sparingly.
Good luck.
P.S. Lovely looking dog!
The only thing I'd add to training commands is to wait until you have the 'action' (such as sitting) before using a word to name it.
I would seek support of a puppy class even though he is 9m as you will get some good advice and be supported to teach appropriate socialisation. I took my 14m old Foster to puppy classes when he arrived from Spain and it was great for him. It sounds like he may have some anxieties, separation anxiety can be hard work but with the right support you should be able to crack it. If you have any concerns don't wait to see if he settles, do get advice because it is much easier to deal with sooner than later. A good routine from the start will also help, so think about how his days will be structured before he arrives so you can build that in straight away. Good luck he looks a super little fellow.
As others have said, consider a good, reward based training class.
I took Max to one despite him being older (nearly 12 months) and he loved it.
In the meantime, give him time to settle in and establish a routine. The behaviour on walks might be a mixture of over excitement and confusion, having not had much exercise recently.
Don't be tempted to over exercise him at this stage, it puts strain on their joints.
I took Max to one despite him being older (nearly 12 months) and he loved it.
In the meantime, give him time to settle in and establish a routine. The behaviour on walks might be a mixture of over excitement and confusion, having not had much exercise recently.
Don't be tempted to over exercise him at this stage, it puts strain on their joints.
Probably repeating what others have said but routine is key, praise and reward for good behaviour and learning commands and above all be patient.
With regards to walking and barking at other dogs, that is the next step training once he is happy at home with you.
Puppy classes are a good start but you should be aware at this early stage your pup hasn't been taught the basics yet.
To sit and wait for his food without jumping or moving until you give the command is good start
With regards to walking and barking at other dogs, that is the next step training once he is happy at home with you.
Puppy classes are a good start but you should be aware at this early stage your pup hasn't been taught the basics yet.
To sit and wait for his food without jumping or moving until you give the command is good start
We collected Buster on Saturday afternoon and he's been a star so far. The journey home was no issue, he sat in the rear footwell next to my wife for the whole journey enjoying lots of fuss. My daughter adores him and they've been inseparable since first meeting, he's very gentle and loves to be fussed at every opportunity. He sits on command and is jumping up less following some treat based training. He seems to be house trained although he couldn't help himself from peeing against the sofa and dining table within 30 mins of being home 
. There's a few things that we need to spend time on with the training, all advice is gratefully received:
- When out walking he goes crazy when he sees other dogs, he barks uncontrollably and gets very agitated. To me, I think that he's not been well socialised and does not know what to do when he meets another dog. I bumped into a neighbour and his dog when walking and Buster kept barking and chasing after the other dog. I wasn't really sure what to do so I tried calming him down by getting down on his level and stroking him. After some feedback from a friend I was probably rewarding his poor behaviour. Since then I've been changing direction to move away from other dogs, which seems to help in the short term but is not a solution to the issue. I'm thinking that some controlled meets with other dogs maybe in order to calm down this behaviour. Any advice/better ideas?
- He pulls quite a bit on the lead, so I'm thinking of getting a suitable harness. Any suggestions? He's currently 10Kg and has a bit of growing to do.
- He came with a bag of AVA dog food (Pets at Home own brand) which can't be helping matters as it is full of sugar. Any recommendations that are not going to break the bank? I was thinking something from Millies Wolfheart may do the trick after reading www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk?
- He gets very excited (if you know what I mean!!) when he meets new people, or when we come home after being away for a short while. We have him booked in with the vets (15th Sept) for a checkup and possible castration if deemed viable at his age (10 months). Any thoughts on this? I know it's not a guaranteed fix, but should calm him down after a while. My daughter (6yo) is getting the brunt of this, so any advice is greatly received.
Having re-read the above it sounds like he's a basket case! He's not - he's fantastic! When in the house he's very calm and loves to snuggle on his bed or on top of my feet
.
Here he is just after pickup:
. There's a few things that we need to spend time on with the training, all advice is gratefully received:- When out walking he goes crazy when he sees other dogs, he barks uncontrollably and gets very agitated. To me, I think that he's not been well socialised and does not know what to do when he meets another dog. I bumped into a neighbour and his dog when walking and Buster kept barking and chasing after the other dog. I wasn't really sure what to do so I tried calming him down by getting down on his level and stroking him. After some feedback from a friend I was probably rewarding his poor behaviour. Since then I've been changing direction to move away from other dogs, which seems to help in the short term but is not a solution to the issue. I'm thinking that some controlled meets with other dogs maybe in order to calm down this behaviour. Any advice/better ideas?
- He pulls quite a bit on the lead, so I'm thinking of getting a suitable harness. Any suggestions? He's currently 10Kg and has a bit of growing to do.
- He came with a bag of AVA dog food (Pets at Home own brand) which can't be helping matters as it is full of sugar. Any recommendations that are not going to break the bank? I was thinking something from Millies Wolfheart may do the trick after reading www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk?
- He gets very excited (if you know what I mean!!) when he meets new people, or when we come home after being away for a short while. We have him booked in with the vets (15th Sept) for a checkup and possible castration if deemed viable at his age (10 months). Any thoughts on this? I know it's not a guaranteed fix, but should calm him down after a while. My daughter (6yo) is getting the brunt of this, so any advice is greatly received.
Having re-read the above it sounds like he's a basket case! He's not - he's fantastic! When in the house he's very calm and loves to snuggle on his bed or on top of my feet
. Here he is just after pickup:
Excellent, he looks great, as above get him to a puppy socialisation class ASAP, the barking is anxiety, he doesn't know what to do or how to deal with and greet other dogs in a friendly way.
Food wise if you want to change him do it gradually, my kitchen has been pebbledashed regularly with my old collie, very dodgy tum, so if you do change be prepared for an accident or 2, maybe mix foods first to get him used to the new one gently.
Food wise if you want to change him do it gradually, my kitchen has been pebbledashed regularly with my old collie, very dodgy tum, so if you do change be prepared for an accident or 2, maybe mix foods first to get him used to the new one gently.
+1 for food changes being gradual.
Mine has finally settled on dry James Wellbeloved Lamp & Rice with a wet Chappie topper but it took a while to get there!
She's 22Kg and 250g JWB + 1/3 Tin Chappie daily + treats keeps her weight stable.
Socialisation and training will hopefully help the excitement and pulling - getting to know your fellow dog walkers and their dogs can greatly help. I've met more people in my home town in the last seven months than in the preceding 20 years!
Mine has finally settled on dry James Wellbeloved Lamp & Rice with a wet Chappie topper but it took a while to get there!
She's 22Kg and 250g JWB + 1/3 Tin Chappie daily + treats keeps her weight stable.
Socialisation and training will hopefully help the excitement and pulling - getting to know your fellow dog walkers and their dogs can greatly help. I've met more people in my home town in the last seven months than in the preceding 20 years!
ctdctd said:
Socialisation and training will hopefully help the excitement and pulling - getting to know your fellow dog walkers and their dogs can greatly help. I've met more people in my home town in the last seven months than in the preceding 20 years!
Cannot agree enough with this bit ^^^ it's been really good fun. The castration doesn't stop anything other than being able to make puppies. If you have a lively dog he won't suddenly be calm and quiet.
The rumpy pumpy issue I assume you have is something you simply have to nip in the bud and usually happens if the two front paws are off the ground and you stroke his tummy.
My Boston terror does this and its treated as a naughty behaviour but as an owner it's being aware of when and how your dog gets into the said behaviour to begin with. I would suggest not leaving your 6 year old daughter unsupervised with your dog no matter how cute they are. A young child won't know how to deal with that situation.
Training is key and keeping all family members to be consistent on what behaviours are acceptable or not with appropriate responses to correct being the same also, It can get difficult for example if when you tell your pooch not to jump up and then find out the other half has been patting her legs to encourage the dog to jump up when she thinks no one is looking.
If you get my drift
Be patient though as in a couple of years the dog will have learnt loads as you will have too.
With regards to food, feed him the best you can as if it were your child
The rumpy pumpy issue I assume you have is something you simply have to nip in the bud and usually happens if the two front paws are off the ground and you stroke his tummy.
My Boston terror does this and its treated as a naughty behaviour but as an owner it's being aware of when and how your dog gets into the said behaviour to begin with. I would suggest not leaving your 6 year old daughter unsupervised with your dog no matter how cute they are. A young child won't know how to deal with that situation.
Training is key and keeping all family members to be consistent on what behaviours are acceptable or not with appropriate responses to correct being the same also, It can get difficult for example if when you tell your pooch not to jump up and then find out the other half has been patting her legs to encourage the dog to jump up when she thinks no one is looking.
If you get my drift
Be patient though as in a couple of years the dog will have learnt loads as you will have too.
With regards to food, feed him the best you can as if it were your child
That is one cute pup
Harness - We have Ezydog. Also have their zero shock leads. Both are excellent
I suggest taking him to puppy training and socialisation as soon as practical.
Training, whilst sometimes frustrating, should be fun for both you and the dog.
Good luck and please keep us updated
Harness - We have Ezydog. Also have their zero shock leads. Both are excellent
I suggest taking him to puppy training and socialisation as soon as practical.
Training, whilst sometimes frustrating, should be fun for both you and the dog.
Good luck and please keep us updated
I've never had a dog that was difficult with other dogs. However, I guess there are some strategies. Rewarding good behaviour is the start.
So what I'd try would be getting him to be steady by other dogs. First you need a friend with a calm dog. Get you cavapoo to sit a long way from the other dog, so he isn't agitated. Reward. Then move him closer to the dog. Sit. Reward. If he barks, back off, sit. Over a few attempts you should be able to narrow the distance. A little each day.
On walks. When you see another dog in the distance, sit him a little way away from the path. Reward. Keep him sat until the other dog passes. If he barks, back to sit, no reward. If he is quiet, reward. Over time reduce the distance from where the other dog will pass. Very slowly though - this is weeks of work, not days.
Make sense?
So what I'd try would be getting him to be steady by other dogs. First you need a friend with a calm dog. Get you cavapoo to sit a long way from the other dog, so he isn't agitated. Reward. Then move him closer to the dog. Sit. Reward. If he barks, back off, sit. Over a few attempts you should be able to narrow the distance. A little each day.
On walks. When you see another dog in the distance, sit him a little way away from the path. Reward. Keep him sat until the other dog passes. If he barks, back to sit, no reward. If he is quiet, reward. Over time reduce the distance from where the other dog will pass. Very slowly though - this is weeks of work, not days.
Make sense?
Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff