I got a new puppy yesterday- not my first choice but he was in a bad situation here in my little town so I took him. My daughter is thrilled though, lol.
The new pup is an 8 month old male mixed breed. He is part Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Miniature American Eskimo, and who knows what else. He's small- about the size of a Pomeranian I'd say.
Our first problem- I use baby gates to separate areas of the house. I separate a space where the cats can go to get away from the dogs and each dog has a separate area of the house to be in as well. The dogs get playtime together, but until they are completely comfortable with each other I think it best to give them each some space.
Sometimes my daughter has to be out of her room for various reasons and the pup jumps the baby gate- actually 2 of them- to get to the front room. This behaviour was allowed at his previous home. How do we get him to stop jumping the gates?
A few more details- the pup has never really been alone. He lived with his brother, mother, and unrelated dog and cats in his last home. He is underweight- the other dogs in his previous home are underweight as well. His owners used harsh methods of dealing with him. Smacking him, holding his mouth closed, shoving him, and yelling at him were daily activities. He is kennel trained but was rarely in a kennel alone. He was rarely groomed- it took my daughter over an hour to get all the mats out of him. He was flea infested and hasn't ever seen a vet.
I know we have a lot to do- but the baby gate thing is first priority to keep order in the home.
New Pup Jumping the Gate
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ithinkican
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:39 am
- Location: Oregon
We tried raising the gate, but it didn't help. He climbs the gate if he can't jump over it. We even tried doubling up- putting one gate on top another gate and he climbed that too!Leigha wrote:Raise the baby gate just enough to make it taller, but not enough for him to stick his head (and get it stuck) under it. Or they sell taller gates that actually have a door built in so even though it's too tall for your to get over, but the door allows you to get through.
My other dog, Luka, can jump the gate but only did it once- he seems to understand it isn't allowed so doesn't do it. I think I need to somehow train the new pup to not jump or climb over the gate- but don't know how.
BTW- the new pup finally has a respectable name- Wolfie!
Does he have toys he can play with to keep himself entertained while he's behind the gate and separated from you? The type of gate I'm talking about doesn't have the X pattern, it's just long bars so there's nothing for the dog to be able to climb.
Like this one: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=3165605
Like this one: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=3165605
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angelenvisioned
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:10 am
Firstly Wolfie is an adorable name for such a spirited little guy!ithinkican wrote:We tried raising the gate, but it didn't help. He climbs the gate if he can't jump over it. We even tried doubling up- putting one gate on top another gate and he climbed that too!Leigha wrote:Raise the baby gate just enough to make it taller, but not enough for him to stick his head (and get it stuck) under it. Or they sell taller gates that actually have a door built in so even though it's too tall for your to get over, but the door allows you to get through.
My other dog, Luka, can jump the gate but only did it once- he seems to understand it isn't allowed so doesn't do it. I think I need to somehow train the new pup to not jump or climb over the gate- but don't know how.
BTW- the new pup finally has a respectable name- Wolfie!
I had the same problem though with my cats. I was living with my parents for a short time and tried to keep my cats in a back room and they would climb 3 baby gates up and slide through a couple inch gap at the top to get out. I also had the jumping problem with a great dane. I was at my wits end with that situation because even when we got enough baby gates to completely block the kitchen doorway, the dog started opening up a look through window we had and jumping into the living room instead so I more than understand the frustration with trying to get the animal to just stay put.
Being a mom I am assuming the baby gates you are using are the same ones I use in my house, the diamond slotted ones. I would suggest first trading that out for the ones made of metal poles instead so there is nothing to climb. Bring the pup ( after he gets his shots ) to a pet store like pet smart and make sure that you buy a gate with slats close enough together that he can't slide between them either.
I would also suggest giving him a couple of toys in the room he is in. This is a puppy who sounds like he is made up of some active and fun loving little breeds. He is going to want to play and the kids are most likely tempting to be around. A bed, some interesting toys, and maybe a treat ball, just something to keep him from getting bored and make being alone not as horrible or lame as he might currently think it is.
Hopefully this won't be a problem once the dogs are all fine around each other. The companionship should keep him from getting as anxious about wanting to be around you guys. In the mean time he is a neglected baby and just know that he loves you and the kids that much that he is willing to climb the gates to get to you. Best of luck and I hope the integration goes well for you.
