Hi everyone,
So far, Sammi seems to be a fairly calm, cautious and sweet little puppy (with a little stubborn streak) and overall not many behavior issues...except when it comes to poop time. We have so much drama, and are working through some of it, like not wanting to poop on leash (much better now). She paces and whines rather frantically trying to find that perfect spot to poop in:afraid: (I call it her poo-poo dance). I've learned to just stand still and let her run the circles around me rather than running behind her back and forth across the yard.
But the worst behavior comes when I scoop the poop. She goes crazy and starts barking and lunging towards me as I approach her poop, just barking madly. This just doesnt't go over well with the neighbors in a townhouse community at 6:30 am. At first, I was tying her leash to a bush or to the front door just to keep her out of the way while I cleaned up. I thought she was becoming worked up from being tied, or from me walking away from her. So I tried several times keeping her with me while I cleaned up, but still the same behavior. Even this afternoon, as I was holding the bag of poop and attempting to get her to obey the commands "sit" and "quiet" (which she knows), she jumped up and bit the bag, tearing a hole in it!
I don't know how to correct this behavior appropriately, as what I've tried up to now is not working. The frantic barking and lunging are not acceptable to me (or the neighbors). I guess I could crate her and then clean up in the short term, but eventually she will have to learn to be calm and quiet when I scoop the poop.
Please help!!! Thanks,
So far, Sammi seems to be a fairly calm, cautious and sweet little puppy (with a little stubborn streak) and overall not many behavior issues...except when it comes to poop time. We have so much drama, and are working through some of it, like not wanting to poop on leash (much better now). She paces and whines rather frantically trying to find that perfect spot to poop in:afraid: (I call it her poo-poo dance). I've learned to just stand still and let her run the circles around me rather than running behind her back and forth across the yard.
But the worst behavior comes when I scoop the poop. She goes crazy and starts barking and lunging towards me as I approach her poop, just barking madly. This just doesnt't go over well with the neighbors in a townhouse community at 6:30 am. At first, I was tying her leash to a bush or to the front door just to keep her out of the way while I cleaned up. I thought she was becoming worked up from being tied, or from me walking away from her. So I tried several times keeping her with me while I cleaned up, but still the same behavior. Even this afternoon, as I was holding the bag of poop and attempting to get her to obey the commands "sit" and "quiet" (which she knows), she jumped up and bit the bag, tearing a hole in it!
I don't know how to correct this behavior appropriately, as what I've tried up to now is not working. The frantic barking and lunging are not acceptable to me (or the neighbors). I guess I could crate her and then clean up in the short term, but eventually she will have to learn to be calm and quiet when I scoop the poop.
Please help!!! Thanks,