Dear Dog Talk: I have a 6-month-old pug who is so sweet ... when she's sleepy. She has so much energy and requires constant attention while she is awake. She will not play by herself unless food is involved. When I try to "ignore" her, but still keep an eye on her, she gets into things. She loves to chew the carpet.
We crate her at night and when she does naughty things. Our work schedule also requires us to crate her for four-hour intervals during the day. Three days a week, I work outside of the home, so she's in her crate for about four hours.
My husband comes home at lunchtime to take her out, feed her and take her out one more time before he heads back to work. I'm home by 5 p.m. to take her out, feed her and play with her. She won't leave us alone until bedtime when we put her in her crate. We've also been putting her in her crate during our dinnertime.
Two days a week I (try) to work from home. She's a constant pain, so I have to put her in her crate at times.
She's also very mouthy (bites), which we're hoping she outgrows when her adult teeth come in. Another strange thing is when we reach to pet her, she bites our hands. Do you have any suggestions⢠Thank you!
Dear Pugged Out: Puppies are so much work. Particularly, when you're already busy working a lot just to make a living. However, there are no shortcuts or magic-wand solutions.
You need to start employing the Canine Triangle. You need to get Miss High-Energy Pugsley enrolled in an obedience course that teaches you how to train your dog. Pugs typically are very smart little dogs. She needs to use her brain in a constructive way -- and you need to learn how to be pack leader in a gentle but assertive way. Biting your hand and mouthing have nothing to do with teething. Dog's don't outgrow these behaviors. You need to learn how to stop these behaviors by using natural methods based on training through a canine point of view.
You need an obedience course that teaches you how to effectively train your puppy to sit and lie down on command. She also needs to learn to stay, walk on a leash without pulling and reliably come when called.
As far as the biting and rug-chewing behaviors go, a well-timed corrective growl will do the trick. A firm, guttural sounding "Nhaa!" given precisely as she is about to chew the carpet or bite your hand will work, but only if you are consistent and if your puppy is under emotional control.
Being in emotional control is imperative for obedience training to be effective. You need to find a way to physically exhaust your little puglet on a daily basis. If she is not ready to sleep, you did not exercise her enough. At 6 months old you might have to tire her out a couple of times a day. Puppies are so much work.
You are mostly using your crate correctly. Crates should be used whenever you can't supervise your puppy. However, don't use the crate as a punishment. Sending a puppy to the crate "when she does naughty things" will not help her learn not to do those behaviors. Only well-timed corrections as the behavior is happening will teach a dog to stop repeating the unwanted behavior.
Lastly, you need to socialize your pug. A group obedience course is a great way to do this. She gets to go somewhere and see other people and dogs.
You pug puppy will not be an adult until she is around 2 years old. In the meantime, the way to "survive puppyhood" is to train, exercise and socialize.
Have I mentioned that puppies are so much work?
Dear Dog Talk: We were raised on a farm and have had many pets, but our favorite is our dog. Six months ago, we adopted "Dex," a full-blooded Labrador retriever. We took him for all of his vaccinations, and he is very playful. He enjoys watching the geese, and so do we. We bought him a toy that has the sound of geese. He lives in the country and has a large yard.
When I get the Sunday paper, the Dog Talk column is the first thing that I look for and read. The weather here in Pennsylvania is getting cool in the morning and evening, but in the afternoon the sun is beautiful.
We always had beagles for hunting dogs. But, we no longer hunt because we can no longer walk. I haven't any questions. I just wanted to tell you about our beautiful puppy. He's jet black.
Dear Loyal Reader: Thanks for taking the time to write. It is a pleasure to hear from you. I get the feeling that you love your jet black dog, Dex, as much as I love my jet black dog, Sophie. Thanks for adopting a dog that needed a home. It sounds like he found a good one. Take care.
