Puppy getting very frustrated - HELP - Doberman Forum : Doberman Breed Dog Forums

rtaliaferro · 11-21-2012, 10:56 AM

So my 9 week old pup - "Klaus" is getting so frustrated and biting ALOT. To me it feels like he is not able to work out all of his pent up energy. Since he does not get his 2nd round of shots for a few more weeks, any ideas on how to work some of this energy off. Also I live in Northern CA and it is raining alot so if it is something inside would be better.

It is important to note that we do let out a loud "yelp" when he bites and give him one of his chew toys but he tends to come at us harder whenever we do this.

Again I feel he simply has alot of energy and I am curious if others have found a way to work out this energy.

Thanks in advance!

kpal4978 · 11-21-2012, 11:16 AM

I am no expert, and my nearly 5 month old boy and I have a long way to go... but I found yelping did NOT work with him, it just got him more excited.
When Mariano was 9 weeks, trips to friend's houses were always fun. We would go to homes without pets, or with pets I was SURE were up to date on their shots. Those trips with new experiences normally helped to tire him out some.
We also played a ton of tag and hide and seek in the house... this also helped a lot with his recall. I would walk out of the room and hide behind a door or something, then call him and make fun noises... when he found me, he got a treat. We play that game every day, even now.
Puzzle toys and training also help slow them down...

Sorry I do not have any official training advice, but this is what worked for us.

Hooligan · 11-21-2012, 11:27 AM

Like kpal, we found that yelping only revved Jack up even more, so I sympathize.

This article may be a good starting point. Note that it talks about practising bite inhibition when the puppy is calm.

Bite Inhibition Training | Karen Pryor Clicker Training

AlyssaN · 11-21-2012, 12:12 PM

It didn't work for me either. We did a lot of work on bite inhibition, and even at his age he gets nippy when he gets all worked up. Actually, now it's pinching. Right between the front teeth he pinches clothing and those little pinches really hurt!

Anyway, do you have carpet at all? You could make a little flirt pole (The Flirt Pole: Dog Toy or Life Changer? | notes from a dog walker). I love my flirt pole. We have a big one that we play outside with because we only have hard flooring in our home. Carpet's easier on the puppy joints.

Teach leave it/stay until he has it down pat. Those require a lot of self-control.
Teach rollover, spin in circle, or weave my legs. Those require him to listen, think, and move.
Teach touch. Start with touch my hand, go to touch your toy, go to touch what I tell you to touch.
Teach him which toys are what. Line up two and tell him "get raccoon" and when he gets the right one you play play play for 3 minutes (whilst talking about "raccoon"). Soon "raccoon" starts to hide to make it harder.
Teach him to limbo/crawl under sticks. Tires him out physically.
Teach him to fetch and bring it to you.

Go buy a kong wobbler and put his dinner in it.
Buy toys that are long and thin that he can run around with. Murphy loves those and they definitely tire him out.

Those are the best I have right now. Murphy honestly has more energy than any other dog I've ever owned or even seen. In my opinion, teaching a skill and playing with the flirt stick tire him out better than anything else.

lestat1978 · 11-21-2012, 12:19 PM

I don't know how well it would work for a young puppy - Ivan was 20 weeks when I got him - but my favorite indoor game for tiring him out was Find It. I'd have treats hidden all over the house.

Adara · 11-21-2012, 01:24 PM

I am in Northern CA also and I started taking mine to Home Depot and hardware stores at 9 weeks. Some people feel this is too early. But I get mine out ASAP. She got her first shots at 8 weeks. Does your puppy like a Flirt pole? My Vizsla puppy loves one. It's great to burn out her energy. Until 12 weeks at 7;45 pm she turned into the DEVIL. So at the first sign, I got her a nice kong, put her in a crate and her her hang for a bit.

I also literally kept putting the toys IN her mouth and removing my hands. This is the first bitey Vizsla I've had. I was starting to look like a heroin addict with marks on my arms and hands! I will say the last week I've seen a HUGE difference. She's 13 weeks.

rtaliaferro · 11-21-2012, 02:54 PM

I love the idea of the Flirt Pole! We do have a neighbor with a young small dog that loves to play and good with other dogs and they have been begging to bring him over to play but I was afraid since their dog does spend alot of time in dog parks and I didn't want to expose Klaus to anything their dog brings back. Thanks everyone for the advice - I will try all your suggestions

AlyssaN · 11-21-2012, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtaliaferro

We do have a neighbor with a young small dog that loves to play and good with other dogs and they have been begging to bring him over to play but I was afraid since their dog does spend alot of time in dog parks and I didn't want to expose Klaus to anything their dog brings back.

Good thinking!