# Lurcher Lab X Jumping up, Nipping And More!!!



## Malibugirl (Jun 15, 2009)

We are hoping to get our rescue dog in the next couple of days and the RSPCA let us have her for a day yesterday (a kind of try before you buy )! She is 9 months old and is a lurcher labrador cross. She has come from a home so has only been in the kennels for about a week.

The one thing we noticed with her yesterday is that she gets very (and I mean very) exciteable when she sees people and jumps up on them. When I say jump up, I dont just mean on her back legs, I mean that she jumps with all four legs in the air!!!! She tries to lick people when jumping up and ends up biting them (she bit me on the face, accidentally of course) because she is that excited. When you push her down, she just bites (play bites) your hands or any other part of the body that gets in her way!

Ive read up about turning around and ignoring the dog when she does this, but this didn't work when we tried it yesterday, she just jumped up on our back!

Im a bit worried as I will be taking her to work with me every day and I think my boss wont like it if she keeps jumping up at people (I work with around 10 staff) all day and he could possibly change his mind about me taking her into the office if she is too bad .

She becomes very stubborn when she sees someone and will not come when called or sit, I know we can work on this, but wonder if anyone had any tips?

Also, we were told that she was toilet trained (as she had come from a family). When we have seen her at the kennels, her cage has been the only clean one, so have no reason to doubt this. However, Yesterday, we took her over the park across the road (huge park with lots of grass), three times in 2 hours and she didn't do anything each time, yet she came straight back into my office and urinated on the floor (within seconds of being back from the walk). Could this mean that she isn't house trained, or could it just be that she was marking her territory (even though there are no other dogs here)? I haven't seen her "go" outside yet, so not sure how trained she is! If she was that desperate to go then I would have thought she would have gone when we took her out or would have whined to have gone out? I cannot see me being able to have her at work if she isn't toilet trained. :nonod:

Finally, any tips on how to obedience train this crossbreed? She is pretty good, knows sit, lie down and give paw. However, she has no recall and will not come when she is called unless you have food and then she is amazing :w00t: If she has a destraction when on the lead i.e. food, people, dogs etc. at the moment it looks like we have no hope of getting her attention until that destraction has passed. I have read about a "Canny Collar" which is supposed to be better than a Halti for control, does anyone have experience of this?

Sorry for all the questions, but this is the first time I have had a dog that wasn't fully trained, and quite so young, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Hi, welcome to the forum and well done for taking on a rescue!

Firstly, it is great you are getting help early and seeking advice. Rescue dogs need to be treated different to a dog which you have had since a pup. They tend to come with problems for many reasons. Even if you are given the history, that information is only as good as the person who is giving it. Some people do not tell the whole truth, so do not take what the RSPCA say at face value. I am not saying that are not telling the truth in any way, but like I said they pass on information.

You are in a very fortunate postion because you have the opportunity to start with a clean slate and instill rules and discipline from day 1. How the dog see's you, begins as soon as they meet you. If you are over attentive and give nothing but fuss they will not see you as the leader. Then when you try to enforce rules and discipline they are obviously not going to listen to you.

My advice:

1) Do not allow the dog access to the whole house. Even if you have no problem with this, it is better to do it gradually. A dog which has been in kennels is not used to space and it can be over whelming. Not only that, but it can encourage territoral behaviour because nothing is off limits and they think it's all theirs.
2) Walk the dog around your house and garden, with YOU leading the way, but only the areas you want the dog to go.
3) Ensure any lead walks are done with you leading and not being pulled by the dog
4) I would not allow the dog on any sofas/beds until you have establised yourself as pack leader.
5) Cesar Milan has a saying "Exercise, discipline and affection" in that order. Too much affection can cause the dog to become un-balanced, because it is un natuaral to them in their natural habitat. We as humans give way too much affection and not enough discipline (by discipline, I do not mean physical punishment, but things like house rules being adhered to, not pulling on a lead etc)

For further information on re-encforcing your self as pack leader, read or watch Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer.

In answer to your questions:

The excitability could be because the dog is in kennells and is probably over whelmed. You must ignore this behaviour when it is happening to you and ensure anybody around the dog is extra calm. Even addressing the dog by pushing it or saying No is giving the dog attention, even though it is negative. If guests come to the door or you are at work, put the lead on and make the dog sit, if it jumps up, say no and make the dog sit again. It is very important that NOBODY fusses the dog or acknowledge's the dog when it is in this state. Apart from when you can control him with the lead on.

With regards to work.... I think you should allow a settling in period before exposing him to this. I would definitely not take him to work yet. 

My female dog rarely goes to toilet anywhere apart from the back garden. Don;t assume the dog knows to whine at the back door. How would she know this? Took my guys a long time for them to tell us they needed to go out. As I said, you need to give her, her own area in the house so she relates it to her kennel. Take her to the back garden initially, and say good girl and give a treat when she goes to toilet. She will soon catch on. Taking her to work could possibly confuse her.

Enrole in some training classes and do not allow her off the lead until her recall is good. Practice in the house and garden and always reward with a treat. All dogs need an incentive, whether it be food, a toy or affection. I have 3 rescue dogs who are all motivated by different things. You can't expect the dog just to do it "because".

With regards to the distrations, very important you start as you mean to go on. If that means that initally you have to use food to get her attention, then do so. She cannot be allowed to control you, if you allow bad behaviour to continue then gradually it becomes the norm and the dog does it because that is what it is used to. It is far harder to correct a habit you have allowed that to correct it at the beginning.

I have not used a halti or canny collar but there is no reason for you not to try. It is about what gives you confidence. If you feel more confident then use any tool which makes you feel like this. Dogs react better to confidence than to nervousness (not saying that you are!)

Have a look at my details on my page, it gives an explanation into my long reply.

Finally best of luck and congratulations x


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## susanharber (May 18, 2009)

The reason your dog is not going to toilet outside is a simple matter of insecurity. I had the same problem with the dog I have just rescued through a charity (she was a puppy farm bitch so had no training for anything at all). She selected the hallway as her potty area and would not do anything outside. I would take her to the park for an hour and then she would come home and go straight to the hallway and do her toilet. After about 3 weeks she had a wee when we were out on a walk. I was so delighted and gave her so much praise that passers by thought I was a mental case.:smile5:and gradually she began to go more outside and now (we have had her just 7 weeks) we get the occasional puddle on the carpet but mostly it is done outside. My advice is be patient - keep showing her want you want her to do and it will come.

Her other behaviours may be for the same reason. She has obviously been taken away from a family and this has unsettled her. Being in kennels she probably learned from all the other dogs around her to jump up at the kennel fence to get themselves noticed and therefore is continuing this behaviour. You could try saying "no jumping etc" as soon as you see someone approaching and keep saying it and checking her with the lead until they have gone past. It will take time and patience. 

My problem with Pippa was that whenever anyone approached she would try to bolt but I found talking to her constantly and reassuring her that everything was alright and sometimes just talking about anything that came into my head usually a complete load of nonsense but just that she heard my voice. I found that worked. It could be the same for you. By talking to her all the time you may find that it will help with getting her attention.

I think the thing here is time and patience and I agree that it would be better not to take her into work with you for a few weeks until she has settled into your household.

Good luck


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## max's mum (Apr 18, 2009)

Try reading Jan Fennell. I think she has some good advice. Think her book is called The Dog Listener. 
x


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