[gwtwmum2]

HELP! Winter is killing Wriggs as he has to be inside more. Since he likes to eat socks and anything else - I either have to have him right with me or he is in the kitchen with a baby gate up. I am in the kitchen often so he interacts with me. However, he has really taken to counter surfing! He will reach up and grab anything he can find from treats, to bags of veggies, to papers off of the fridge.
I hate to stick him in a crate because that just feels really mean but I'm not sure what to do. He can't be by my side 24/7 during the day...
Also, we are working on potty training. He has the pooping part down but if I don't run to open the door after he goes over to it once and then walks away (meaning, I miss his very slight clue) he will pee in the kitchen. I let him out often and I always say go potty and then he does (he is really good about going outside - it is just getting him to see he shouldn't do it inside).
I praise him like crazy too. So I need for it to clique -go outside ONLY.
I've called an obedience trainer so that I can learn some great ways to work with him (and am waiting to be called back).
He is five months old (and a standard). Did anyone else have these troubles with their pups?

 

[WonderPup]

Training is going to help your communication with him greatly. I wish more people would understand that it shouldn't be optional - but thats just my opinion.

As for enteraining him during the day, does he have any interactive toys? Before I had a multi dog household my dog had a ball that he could roll around that would depense treats, or in his case dog food. I used to feed him his breakfast that way while I was was doing work for school. It was a huge help. Before I started this he was bothering me all morning before my first class, lol my grades were suffering I cold give him the ball and it would take him about 30 minutes to eat his breakfast and then out to potty he went and off to class I went. When I came home he was ready for a walk and I was pleased to see that he had not distroyed anything while I was away.

 

[gwtwmum2]

I like that idea - did you get this ball at a Petsmart or Petco type store?
How much did you put in there - could you put a whole cup in? I like the breakfast idea alot!

 

[spoofan]

I would not worry about the crate.
Just go and do your thing and he can stay there for a couple of hours.
gunther was really easy to potty train and he has not had an accident inside since August. I ONLY gave him treats when he went 'potty' outside,until he was fully trained.
They do have tons of energy,that needs to be burned off,even if it is just a brisk walk outside.
Gunther goes to doggy daycare twice a week in the winter...to play with friends and get tired.

 

[Blue Fox]

Gosh is Wriggs 5 months old already? He's only a month younger an T! I think beacuse T has the older dog he is less of a nuisance than a one houshold pup. He plays outside with the big dog and that helps to wear him out. He has one of those treat dispenser balls and loves it too.

I think counter surfing is a poo trait too! I took the boys out to lunch today and before the food turned up they brought out the cutlery slipped into one of those paper covers - before I could even think about moving it T had put his paws on the table and pinched it :smile: We need to discipline him more and do more obedience work with him cause when things like this happen we say Ohhh isn't he cute and laugh while we retrieve what ever he has stolen - which is not helping us to have a well behaved canine citizen LOL!

Have been talking to a new lady in town who is going to start obedience classes shortly WOOO HOOO so finally we will have an obedience club in town! I can't wait to be able to take the boys to socialise and have someone instruct us.

 

[SECRETO]

Goodness woman....get a crate and quit driving yourself nuts! lol

If you don't crate train him now and decide to get one later, good grief, what a chore it will be. Sting is completely crate trained now and actually like's go night night in it. Yesterday and today I have been pretty sickly and I would have been in trouble if he wasn't used to a crate. It took about a 5 days to get him totally warmed up to the idea of the crate. Its in my room so he is always with us at night. That helps a lot in the beginning. Later you can move it out after they are used to it.

Just some advice.

 

[Sam I Am]

Obedience training will help alot with all issues, but when it comes to the counter surfing, for us the only solution is to never leave anything out on the counter. And as far as stealing socks and other things in the rest of the house same thing, nothing on the floor. Jenny gets up on the couch and steals things off the end table which I know will never be empty, so we just give her the firm NO and take it away. She has gotten a little better about it. Except for kleenex, she plucks them from the box one by one. LOL!! I can't believe he is reaching the counter he must be alot taller than Jenny. She doesn't even come close to being able to take anything off the counter. And by the way they aren't quite 5 months old yet so stop being mad at him he is just a baby. LOL!!!! Hubby is always rolling his eyes at me when I cradle her and cuddle her like a little baby. Anyway good luck and don't feel guilty about crating, he probably takes tons of naps during the day anyway, you'll just be telling him when it is naptime and when its not.

 

[Blue Fox]

T has never got to the point of actually going to his crate to sleep by himself. He'll go in there cause that's where his food and water are but with the door open he doesn't just take himself in there and lay down. I am wondering if it isn't big enough now. When I he was slepping with me downstairs he would stretch his legs straight out in front to sleep and he can't do that in the crate. He can stand up and lay down long ways OK but with his long legs he has to curl up so I wonder if this makes him not go in there.

Anyway he is mostly sleeping downstairs with the GSD in their kennel now so I might do away with the crate upstairs and just put his fluffy mattress on the floor for him. He can be crated if necessary now we know he won't put up a fuss if he is put in there and the door closed but I can't see him growing to love it like everyone says - not when he can sleep on the couch or the floor at our feet :smile:

 

[Pamela]

HELP! Winter is killing Wriggs as he has to be inside more. Since he likes to eat socks and anything else - I either have to have him right with me or he is in the kitchen with a baby gate up. I am in the kitchen often so he interacts with me. However, he has really taken to counter surfing! He will reach up and grab anything he can find from treats, to bags of veggies, to papers off of the fridge.
I hate to stick him in a crate because that just feels really mean but I'm not sure what to do. He can't be by my side 24/7 during the day...
Also, we are working on potty training. He has the pooping part down but if I don't run to open the door after he goes over to it once and then walks away (meaning, I miss his very slight clue) he will pee in the kitchen. I let him out often and I always say go potty and then he does (he is really good about going outside - it is just getting him to see he shouldn't do it inside).
I praise him like crazy too. So I need for it to clique -go outside ONLY.
I've called an obedience trainer so that I can learn some great ways to work with him (and am waiting to be called back).
He is five months old (and a standard). Did anyone else have these troubles with their pups?

Are you kidding? lol! Mine are going stir crazy - getting into so much mischief - knocking over garbage to get into it - taking things off counters - taking socks - standing by the window and barking! I haven't beenable to take them for a walk. They go out by themselves but its wet and nasty so they don't stay out long and dont' get enough exercise. That's what happens when they are bored!:banghead:

 

[WonderPup]

Yup I got the ball at petsmart, it depends on which size you get as far as how much you can put it in. There is another type of ball which is a cube shape, if you have wood or tiles floors avoid the cubes. They don't roll on those types of surfaces well.