[nancy72]

Hi everyone,

I have a very sweet and affectionate 10 mo. old, Aussie shepherd/ Rottweiler mix. I got him at 8 wks from someone who had already taken him from his mom and sibling pups. He was a pretty sick pup when I got. I spent a fortune on vet bills, but nursed him back to good health, and he seems to be doing fine (touch wood).

His name Jake, and he has a bad case of separation anxiety when I'm away from him. He's becoming increasingly willful, with what seem to be 'temper tantrums.'

This morning, he had a good 2 hr run at the dog park with his buddies, but he gets over-excited and herds and barks a high-pitch bark at the other dogs. It's excessive and makes it not fun to be there. I've tried giving him 'time outs' and I've tried to submit him, but he gets back up and starts all over again!

This evening I took him for a long stroll, and for the first 20 mins, he was great.... But then, he started nipping at the leash, and thrashing it about. Then he dropped to the ground and squirmed on his back for a few minutes with the leash in his mouth. He wouldn't get up even though I gave him the command. I tried to submit him to calm him down, but he kept squirming and nipping at me, and seemed to be having a doggie temper tantrum.

My question is: Do dogs have temper tantrums?
And if so, what should I do to correct this bad behaviour?

I had to raise my voice to get any kind of reaction.... He's getting a 'time-out' right now.

Help please???

Thanks!

p.s. He's not aggressive –thankfully!

 

[fawkese1]

first and foremost, stop "trying to submit" him, whatever technique you are doing here is not going to work for you to solve any behavior issue.
http://www.dogforum.com/dog-training/dominance-dogs-4076/

in fact it is likely to exacerbate the situation...
http://www.dogforum.com/dog-training/suppression-modification-shutdown-fallout-4776/

it sounds like you have a mixture of things going on with him, being a 10mo dog is one this age needs quite a bit of work to keep him calm... that work doesn't need to be, and actually shouldn't be all physical exercise. training games, making him workout his brain, will do wonders to tire him out. so will feeding him from puzzle feeders and toys like kongs. now is the time to really work his mind.

for a mix of physical exercise and thinking games try a flirt pole, nosework type games and using toys/games as rewards for behaviors (ie i have a very structured way that i play fetch with my dog)

you will also want to look up reactivity... here are some more links that you will hopefully find helpful:
http://www.dogforum.com/dog-training/nosework-9594/
http://www.dogforum.com/dog-training/helpful-training-videos-articles-11426/
http://www.dogforum.com/dog-training/scent-tracking-4508/
http://www.dogforum.com/dog-behavior/reactivity-leash-aggression-barrier-frustration-12538/
http://www.dogforum.com/dog-behavior/calming-signals-10084/


now, when you say "time out" what do you mean by that? sometimes it takes MANY time outs to help a dog calm down, also, some dogs just aren't good candidates for dog parks... you might need to consider that the experience is just too much for him. or that you need to make the time out a more severe punishment for him... if he starts to bark etc at the park, immediately go to him, leash him and leave. don't just give him a time out there, as it may be that there is too much going on for him to realize that the party is over, don't call him to you, and make sure that you are calm and not scolding him at all when you do it.

hope that makes sense

fwiw, if you can be patient and persistent with him for a while, you will likely work through this phase in no time

 

[nancy72]

Hi,

Thanks so much for all of these resources.... I'll check them out and with any luck, they'll work.

To clarify, I was told to hold the dog down near the scruff of his neck, because this is what supposedly what his mother would do to stop him in his tracks! However, this is difficult to do since I'm a 110 lb female, and he's 60lbs strong!

The time out that I gave him tonight after he behaved so badly was in the bathroom with the light off for 20mins. The time out that I give him at the park when he barks incessantly, is 5-10 mins in little double gated entrance to the dog park.

Admittedly, I spoiled him quite a bit when he was sick, and now he's really demanding. I can't even leave him tied on leash for a few seconds without him making a HUGE scene. It's embarassing and frustrating.

I've signed up for more training lessons, but they may not allow him to attend the classes if he acts up.

Funny, he's sleeping like an angel now....

Sigh. :?

 

[fawkese1]

Thanks so much for all of these resources.... I'll check them out and with any luck, they'll work.

hope they can help

To clarify, I was told to hold the dog down near the scruff of his neck, because this is what supposedly what his mother would do to stop him in his tracks! However, this is difficult to do since I'm a 110 lb female, and he's 60lbs strong!

please stop doing this, it is potentially dangerous, very misguided advice, and will not help the situation. in fact it will likely make the problem much worse. you NEVER need to forcibly handle a dog (or any animal) for training purposes, anyone who tells you otherwise has missed out on a lot of great methods and techniques that make this sort of practice completely unnecessary.

The time out that I gave him tonight after he behaved so badly was in the bathroom with the light off for 20mins. The time out that I give him at the park when he barks incessantly, is 5-10 mins in little double gated entrance to the dog park.

stop using time outs like this and they will work better. a time out for a dog is you giving the dog a chance to calm down, using isolation as punishment will only make his separation anxiety that much worse. the time out at the park isn't helping, you aren't removing him far enough away from the situation to get a grip on himself and calm down. i would just change this practice and leave EVERY time he behaves this way. that way he learns that he is no longer rewarded for that behavior, and he gets to calm himself.

Admittedly, I spoiled him quite a bit when he was sick, and now he's really demanding. I can't even leave him tied on leash for a few seconds without him making a HUGE scene. It's embarassing and frustrating.

i hope you aren't tying him up and leaving him? as far as spoiling him, i "spoil" my dog all the time. lol, or at least a lot of people may see it that way. in reality, i try my best to meet his needs, that includes giving him structure in his life. he is a 100lb rescue who had nothing but issues when i adopted him, including separation anxiety (we still struggle a bit with this, though less and less as time goes by) so i know where you are coming from

I've signed up for more training lessons, but they may not allow him to attend the classes if he acts up.

talk to the trainer before hand. hopefully they use positive reinforcement methods? otherwise, find a trainer who does, and you can work on his issues outside of a class setting. this may be better for him in the long run. it is really important to use PR methods, after you read through the links that i posted, you'll understand more why

Funny, he's sleeping like an angel now....

rofl! they always sleep so peacefully! no matter how crazy they made your day!

 

[nancy72]

Yup, they use positive reinforcement methods, like clicker training.
I'll do as you've advised and I've already talked to the trainers.... They'll meet him tomorrow afternoon to see if he's suitable for their classes.

Congrats again on your rescue. They really are great ... even if they can be a pain in the but!

 

[fawkese1]

lol, thanks i wouldn't trade clover for the world!

look through some of the links i posted, and you can get some great ideas for stuff you can do with him at home. the easiest thing would be to start using puzzle feeders and kongs for him to get his meals, you'd be surprised what a difference this can make!