Hi
My puppy Mac is now 7 months old. His training is going well (thanks to Victoria's book). I'm still having a few issues though.
Firstly Mac likes to rag on my feet when I'm walking around the house.
He will also rag people feet if they are sat down and have one leg crossed over the other, I've tried ignoring this so far but he is very persistent.
The other problem is carpet chewing. He's been chewing carpet that meets the steps and he's made tiny holes in it. I know he needs correcting here but how do I do this properly i.e not distracting him with a toy because that's more like rewarding him.
People tell me I should be smacking him, but I don't believe this is the way to go at all.
Any help would be really appreciated.
Hayley x
Ragging feet and carpet chewing
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Re: Ragging feet and carpet chewing
Yep definately don't smack him.
A common correction method people use here is "time outs" - similar to how you would put a kid on the naughty step maybe.
For the feet ragging it is probably easier to remove yourself. So everytime he tries to bite your feet, you leave the room and shut the door for 10 seconds or so. You'll be up and down like a yo-yo at first, and you have to be consistent, so even if you are eating your dinner, you still have to leave the room (take your dinner with you if he's a counter surfer!)
The carpet chewing - is it when you are there, or when you leave him alone? Could be seperation anxiety, could be boredom, could be that he just likes to chew carpet!
A common correction method people use here is "time outs" - similar to how you would put a kid on the naughty step maybe.
For the feet ragging it is probably easier to remove yourself. So everytime he tries to bite your feet, you leave the room and shut the door for 10 seconds or so. You'll be up and down like a yo-yo at first, and you have to be consistent, so even if you are eating your dinner, you still have to leave the room (take your dinner with you if he's a counter surfer!)
The carpet chewing - is it when you are there, or when you leave him alone? Could be seperation anxiety, could be boredom, could be that he just likes to chew carpet!
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Bluegirly01
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Re: Ragging feet and carpet chewing
Mac can wander downstairs freely so the carpet chewing happens when he sneaks out the front room into the hallway. Even if I see him leave the room and follow him he still blatantly starts chewing the carpet. I crate him with his beloved monkey when I go out and he spends his time snoozing.
Hayley x
Hayley x
Re: Ragging feet and carpet chewing
I wouldn't give him the freedom to wander out of sight at the moment to be honest. The more he practices the habit the more likely he is to do it so you need to stop him chewing the wrong things and teach him what he CAN chew. Does he have things he's allowed to chew and tear up?
Redirecting to a toy isn't rewarding bad behaviour if done properly. He has to be taught what he can grab as well as what he can't. If you know the situations he's likely to go for peoples feet then offer him a toy BEFORE he does so. If he still goes for the feet and refuses to redirect then I'd use a time out, just leave the room for 10-30 seconds, go back in, repeat as necessary. I'd have a house line on him when visitors are over and remove him if he does it with them. Not all visitors are willing or able to keep getting up and leaving the room and some encourage behaviour you don't want. Some purposely, some without meaning to. The main thing is to be absolutely consistent with it. If you don't do it sometimes because you can't be bothered or it's inconvenient or whatever then all you'll do is teach him that this behaviour sometimes works so he'll actually get worse.
Redirecting to a toy isn't rewarding bad behaviour if done properly. He has to be taught what he can grab as well as what he can't. If you know the situations he's likely to go for peoples feet then offer him a toy BEFORE he does so. If he still goes for the feet and refuses to redirect then I'd use a time out, just leave the room for 10-30 seconds, go back in, repeat as necessary. I'd have a house line on him when visitors are over and remove him if he does it with them. Not all visitors are willing or able to keep getting up and leaving the room and some encourage behaviour you don't want. Some purposely, some without meaning to. The main thing is to be absolutely consistent with it. If you don't do it sometimes because you can't be bothered or it's inconvenient or whatever then all you'll do is teach him that this behaviour sometimes works so he'll actually get worse.
Re: Ragging feet and carpet chewing
You could try one of the foul-tasting deterrent sprays on the carpet, such as bitter apple. Some dogs like the taste of some of them though! The best solution, though, is Sarah83's advice. The longer he can go without doing this, the more chance he'll grow out of it completely.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
