Alright, first of all I am new here! My name is Tye!

Anyways, this is about my "Golden Rottiever", Theo. He is very, very smart. But, he always seems to do everthing wrong. He is only 7 months old and I believe still teething. He's a BIG boy at 67lbs. He always leaves the house when let loose. Many have told me that he just needs proper training. Well, like I said Theo is smart. In all of two days he learned eight commands that he still does today: sit, stay, low-five/shake, high-five, up-five, down, and army crawl. He also does some agility with me. And of course he is leash trained. He has always been fiesty, and high-maintainence since the day we got him at six weeks old.
I need help! My parents are tired of Theo tearing up everything, chasing the neighbors to play, and play-fighting totally. I don't mind it because he is a one person dog. Sure he plays with everyone but he usually only obeys my commands. He does a terrific job at being a guard dog, too. Also, another issue is barking and howling at night. I just go outside and tell him no. Lately, the neighbors have been complaining. People have suggested a shock collar. Is a shock collar the right way to go?
Sorry for so much. I have posted this other places without much help. My parents are on the brink of getting rid of my baby! Please, I need suggestions and opinions...Thanks in advance :-)

Rottie Dogs

[beks]

Hi i hope i can help a little bit!

We have a Lab mixed with a golden retreiver, as for the chewing, well we got him when he was about 10 months old, and he was chewing things (our tv remote, coffe table, shoes, and other objects) until he was about 13 months. he was definitly still teething i actually found one of his baby teeth on the carpet one day! all i can sugest is make sure there are alot of toys of his own around for him to chew, my dog loves chewing on things like kongs and bones. Maybe you have already tryed this but praise him lots when you see him chewing on somthing he can chew on and if u catch him ( i did it even when we did not catch our dog and it worked) chewing on things, or even after, they still know, grab his face and show him what he chew on and say NO!, and if u want u can tap him on the nose. also if he is inside while you leave try putting him in a crate or a room with nothing that he can chew up besides a few of his own toys. he wil grow out of it!


My dog also barks like mad when we leave him out side, so we dont usually leave him out there alone, he is VERY much so a people dog and hates being alone.

our dog used to run after people but not to much now, we dont have a fence so when he goes out to pee he's on a lesh, but we play out doors with him and his ball and he usually just barks a couple times when someone walks by.

I personally dont like shock collars, there are other ways to get your dog to stop barking, training hard, im not an expert in that though so im not sure how to go about it ( i fhave the same problem barking dog) i just think like, how would you like it if someone put a shock collar on you cause you were a loud person

Labs and retrievers are very smart dogs, my dog also learns tricks pretty quick and remembers them, but even though he knows it bad bad bad to get into the garbage he stil does it. there only dogs and do need to be trained in some areas more then others.


anyways i hope your dog soon gets better ! he wil grow out of the chewing though!

[reeskujo]

As for the chewing make sure you keep lots of his own toys around.....If you catch him chewing on something take it away and give him something he's aloud to chew on and praise him when he does it...DO NOT grab his face or hold his mouth closed...That can eventually lead to him biting you to prevent you from doing it...As for the barking try spraying him in the face with a water bottle...If you keep going out there and just tell him no he's going to keep doing it to get your attention....As for the garbage keep it where he can't get it...He doesn't know he's not supposed to do it or he wouldn't...Dogs minds don't work in a vindictive manner...Getting in the garbage is a self rewarding behavior for dogs...Once they've gotten what they want out of the garbage they've rewarded themselves for getting in the garbage so it continues...If you can't supervise him to make sure he doesn't do it then you have to make sure he can't get it...I would seriously think about training classes as it would be a great help and a bonding experience for the both of you.

Of course he's going to take off when loose. no dog should ever be off leash unless in a securely fenced yard. keep him leashed = problem solved

he IS only 7 months old - I think teaching him 8 things in 2 days is way to much. learning should be fun for the dog & sessions should only last about 10 minutes.

is he neutered yet? if not it is overdue. another problem is he left his mother & siblings much to soon & you are paying for it now. matter of fact it is illegal in most states to take them away before 8 weeks, however it is much better for the puppies to stay until at least 10 weeks - pref. 12.

why is he living outside? bring him in & crate him. he is lonely & bored out there. he does have a proper box doesn't he? if the neighbors file a complaint - your parents can get arrested if there is a barking ordinance.

Kerra has only been allowed in the house sometimes. Theo has never been in the house, except for when he was younger, besides when he runs in after Kerra. Lately, he has been much better behaved! I think it might be because I have tried to pay more attention to him. My dad doesn't allow the dogs in the house usually. It's when he's gone, I let them in and Mom doesn't mind too much. I think his training is fun for him. He is both a treat and toy praised dog. I am going to start making him some toys like a ball on a rope and tough stuff that can handle his teeth. I gave him a big ham bone from Thanksgiving to chew on and either he buried it or just ate it in one day. Who knows? He hasn't barked like normal and now when I go outside for something, I can tell he wants to play so I let him off if he's not already and play fetch. I really appreciate everyone's advice. I know it is overdue for neutering. I hope to get that done soon. If there is anything else let me know! :-D

Rottie Dogs

check with your local shelter for low cost neutering clinics. here is some other possible help with that.

Friends of Animals | Spay and Neuter Certificate Information

you can also google your state & free/low cost neutering

some may offer low cost shots too if he needs them.

I will probably call the local vet soon for check-ups and neutering. :-) He has also had all of his shots! :-D Thanks...

Rottie Dogs