Okay friends... I need some advice. My puppy Otis is hardheaded and really likes to test his limits with everyone. He is probably the best with me because he knows I give him rules and boundaries, and he knows what is and is not acceptable with me. With my boyfriend he will get really hyper (especially outside) and will jump around grabbing at clothing and body parts. He has chomped down on him a few times, especially on fingers if he tries to remove something from his mouth. All I have to say is drop it or he will let me remove it from him. My brother is staying with me and Otis really loves to mess with him. He gets so hyper outside that my brother doesnt even want to walk by him because he is jumping, barking and nipping hard like crazy. Inside he will also jump on my brother on the couch and chomp at his arms and hands. He really tests his limits with everyone and he is so stubborn. He even tests my cats constantly by barking at them, chasing them and occasionally nipping at them. With dogs he will sometimes jump on them and will pull at their facial skin at times as well. As I said he tests his boundaries with everyone and everything. I want to break him of these bad habits, because at 6 months he is already 55 lbs and I dont want him still jumping and nipping when he is bigger, and I am nervous he will do it to a child. There is a little girl who lives above us but her parents watched Otis for a few days when I was gone away and they showed him it was not okay to nip and jump at them, especially their daughter - so he doesnt. I am all for positive reinforcement but that doesnt always work with Otis, so I will be the first to admit I do a lot of NO!! and if he is nipping I will firmly hold his muzzle shut and he will usually stop after that. I got Otis from the SPCA at 3 months old. I never met his parents so I do not know what their personalities were like - all I know is he came from a bad area where he possibly was not fed enough and got a few scars somehow. I DNA tested him and his main breed is Shetland sheepdog with Rottweiler, German shepherd and chihuahua. He has a lot of energy as he has many working breeds in his genetics, but this stubbornness and jumping/nipping has to be put to a stop. He is currently in training at PetSmart but we are mainly learning commands there. I work two jobs so I do admit I do not have as much time as I wish I did to exercise and train him, but I am willing to work as hard as I can to help break him of these bad habits now. Any advice is appreciated!
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:27:21 +0000
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