Hi!
I'm Della, a 20 year old uni student living in the UK
I'm not a first time owner, although this is the first puppy I can really remember and there are a couple of areas I could really use some advice on, hence why I'm here. Any and all advice will be gratefully received and whilst I'm, admittedly, not the most patent person in the world I will try my hardest to get Laufey and I to the happy state I'm hoping to achieve.
Hi
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Re: Hi
Thanks 
I just thought I'd put a little more about Laufey here.
He's been neutered at 7 months (not my personal choice but I couldn't argue) and it hasn't slowed him down at all - the day after he woke up full of beans as usual so keeping him calm and quiet isn't going well at all.
With a lot of training, we can wait at roads, usually keep a loose lead, give both paws, sit, down, move out of the way, stop at the door, we have an excellent recall as long as there's no dogs, braces himself in the car when told, will give you a toy when asked (and something he steals if you're crafty about it) and usually have a good idea what off means. We're currently working on walking better, having more self control around dogs, and house training (he usually hits on/nearly on the paper but he's a bit of a shy pooper so if he can go hide and poop elsewhere he will
) as well as teaching him to spin and bow.
I've very recently enquired about further dog classes in our area - found a recommended trainer very close to us (Waggy's dog training) and I'm hoping they'll be able to help. I'm currently off uni although I am still working but I plan on making great headway very quickly as he's a brilliant little dog who will do anything to please, although he doesn't have much initiative to try new things for me to free shape him.
I just thought I'd put a little more about Laufey here.
He's been neutered at 7 months (not my personal choice but I couldn't argue) and it hasn't slowed him down at all - the day after he woke up full of beans as usual so keeping him calm and quiet isn't going well at all.
With a lot of training, we can wait at roads, usually keep a loose lead, give both paws, sit, down, move out of the way, stop at the door, we have an excellent recall as long as there's no dogs, braces himself in the car when told, will give you a toy when asked (and something he steals if you're crafty about it) and usually have a good idea what off means. We're currently working on walking better, having more self control around dogs, and house training (he usually hits on/nearly on the paper but he's a bit of a shy pooper so if he can go hide and poop elsewhere he will
) as well as teaching him to spin and bow.I've very recently enquired about further dog classes in our area - found a recommended trainer very close to us (Waggy's dog training) and I'm hoping they'll be able to help. I'm currently off uni although I am still working but I plan on making great headway very quickly as he's a brilliant little dog who will do anything to please, although he doesn't have much initiative to try new things for me to free shape him.
Re: Hi
Della, have you tried 101 Things to improve Laufey's creativity?
It takes the dog a while to understand that you want them to find new things to do, but once they pick it up, they can offer some really interesting behaviours! That might encourage him to try new things, and make free shaping more possible
It takes the dog a while to understand that you want them to find new things to do, but once they pick it up, they can offer some really interesting behaviours! That might encourage him to try new things, and make free shaping more possible
Re: Hi
Ooooo! Nope, I've not tried it, I might well find a box and play with him, see what he can come up with besides chewing it - he's just found out that his adult teeth are good for nawing on things so now we have quite a few one eared teddies - all his of course. I'm not overly bothered about free shaping as a method for teaching a new behaviour (mostly because my clicker timing isn't the best) but I definitely want to get him to try new things just to see what he would do, and it would possibly help with his impulse control if he figures out he can try anything he wants but then has to pay attention when I want him to (I can always dream right 
)
Although I do seem to have taught him to come to me both for a 'come' and when I whistle in a specific way, I'm not sure how I did this though because I didn't really plan to, I don't even remember starting to whistle for him but hey it works so let's go with it. I took him to a friend's for a couple of hours this evening (she has a large lab/staffy/something cross) and whilst he was slightly wary as Spartacus is very boisterous they did get on very well and he even recalled in the garden there multiple times which I was very proud of.
I keep finding new things I want to work on with him which is actually highly inconvenient on my part because some things are more pressing then others at different times - it's like now my neighbour is having a party so he keeps growling but then tomorrow when said neighbour is annoying it won't seem as big a deal and then some things are always important, like his over excitability. And then my family and friends think I've become a bit obsessed with training him and what have you at the minute, and maybe I have but I don't think it's a bad thing to want a dog with a good recall and some tricks to show off, especially when the poodle in him makes him very eager to please and he enjoys himself.
)Although I do seem to have taught him to come to me both for a 'come' and when I whistle in a specific way, I'm not sure how I did this though because I didn't really plan to, I don't even remember starting to whistle for him but hey it works so let's go with it. I took him to a friend's for a couple of hours this evening (she has a large lab/staffy/something cross) and whilst he was slightly wary as Spartacus is very boisterous they did get on very well and he even recalled in the garden there multiple times which I was very proud of.
I keep finding new things I want to work on with him which is actually highly inconvenient on my part because some things are more pressing then others at different times - it's like now my neighbour is having a party so he keeps growling but then tomorrow when said neighbour is annoying it won't seem as big a deal and then some things are always important, like his over excitability. And then my family and friends think I've become a bit obsessed with training him and what have you at the minute, and maybe I have but I don't think it's a bad thing to want a dog with a good recall and some tricks to show off, especially when the poodle in him makes him very eager to please and he enjoys himself.