Hates the sound of his collar..HELP!

[SchatzieK 0]

Hello,

I recently got a new Shih Tzu puppy whom I named PEPPER!! He's my second Shih Tzu. My first was Sadie, a lovely little girl who passed away about a month ago from congenital kidney disease..She's now our angel looking after us.

Pepper has brought back laughter and joy and he's a great little charmer. It was love at first sight..However, he's really feisty. I've never had a boy pup before and it's his way or the highway. I'm trying every day to assert dominance.

My BIGGEST issue with him is that he absolutely HATES his collar. Not really the collar itself, but the jingle from his ID tag. He hears it jingle and will automatically plop and become comatose. He won't move, not even to pee! If I take it off, he immediately becomes normal happy go lucky. I want to be consistent and get him used to it but I'm not sure I'm going about this the right way?

I took him to the vet yesterday and the staff said he was too feisty and I needed to get him used to that I'm his boss. I didn't really deal with this with Sadie, and I do not want to compare them. So I feel like a novice doggy owner all over again

So my questions are:

#1 Please HELP!! how do I get him used to his ID tag jingling?

#2 ALL suggestions on how to assert dominance are GREATLY appreciated.

He has his next vet visit in 3 weeks and I would like to have him be less feisty and more accepting THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

[chloechanel'smommy 2]

I just saw a thing at the checkout counter at Petsmart that you put on their tags to keep thiem from jingling. That might help. Changing to plastic tags could also be an option. I am so sorry that you recently lost your sweet Sadie. I am glad you have Pepper to ease the pain.

[Chai 0]

Sorry I am a meaner mom than you. I put the collar on.. give them a couple days to get used to it. Then I put one tag on for a few days then add the second tag.. and leave it. Eventually the puppy will move, get used to the sound and then it doesn't matter how many tags you have on.. they are fine.

On their collar I have a "name" tag that has my phone number and the vet contact, and the rabies.. on the leash I have the city license, "Chipped" information and therapy tags.

Carrie

[Briq 0]

Sorry I am a meaner mom than you. I put the collar on.. give them a couple days to get used to it. Then I put one tag on for a few days then add the second tag.. and leave it. Eventually the puppy will move, get used to the sound and then it doesn't matter how many tags you have on.. they are fine.

On their collar I have a "name" tag that has my phone number and the vet contact, and the rabies.. on the leash I have the city license, "Chipped" information and therapy tags.

Carrie

Same here... Gizmo HATED his collar for about 2 days before forgetting he had it on.

[tzuhouse 4]

I agree, I put them on and they just become used to it....I only had one that I took it off for a few days when he ate because he wouldn't eat with it hitting the plate...but then after he finished I put it right back on...with in a few days I forgot to take it off at dinner and he ate just fine.

About the dominance thing...I would SURELY consider doing an obedience class for puppies. They can watch him an make specific recommendations...but even if you have other dogs a refresher training class is always wise IMO....I didn't think so at first, but am doing it now and am getting so much from it....things I had forgotten, plus it just makes you more aware to do daily and ongoing training.

So sorry for your loss...it sounds like Pepper is healing some hearts....you will never forget your angel, but having a new puppy sure can help.

Hope we can see some pics soon.

[SchatzieK 0]

I am so thankful for all your posts!! It seems like key factor is consistency.

I kept his collar on all day. He still acts comatose, will NOT pee on his pad with it on, will sporadically run like he's on fire and plops the moment it jingles...*Sigh. I keep playing with him and trying to divert all attention from the ID Tag. I am trying to do positive re enforcement making it jingle on purpose and then giving him praise and treats. I took him out for a walk, he still hates it, the collar and leash. He's better about walking on a leash than the ID tag that's for sure.

Pepper is really affectionate and sweet, but boy is he Pepper-y! spicy and feisty! he doesn't like to be placed on his back, or have any sort of restrain. He howls and yelps and tries to bite you! you'd think he was being abused. On a positive note, he is FINALLY caving and surrendering allowing me to check his gums, eyes, ears and hold his head...But cannot stand to be laid on his back. I remember when I did puppy training with Sadie our trainer he said that was just a sign of how dominant they wanted to be.

So please, all the more suggestions on asserting dominance are welcome!

As far as puppy classes, I did them before with Sadie and I loved them. I am waiting for him to get all his required shots within the next 3 weeks so we can sign him up. I am a huge believer in socializing and at least some sort of behavioral courses. It creates a nice bond and it's great for their interaction. Until then, I have some work to do in the next three weeks.

Thanks so much for all your kind words. Sadie was my first fur baby, the first family pet. My mom who always dislikes dogs had a change of heart because of her. Now she holds Pepper and hugs and kisses him. She always says Sadie changed her life. She was as much an angel here as she is in spirit. And yes, Pepper is carrying on that cheer that Sadie spread so well herself. He's building his own special place in our hearts and lives. So again, thanks very much for your words. Once I get more acquainted with the site I will load pictures of all my babies.

Congrats to you all, your fur kids are absolutely stunning. They look so sweet!

Edited March 21, 2010 by SchatzieK

[tzuhouse 4]

I am so thankful for all your posts!! It seems like key factor is consistency.

I kept his collar on all day. He still acts comatose, will NOT pee on his pad with it on, will sporadically run like he's on fire and plops the moment it jingles...*Sigh. I keep playing with him and trying to divert all attention from the ID Tag. I am trying to do positive re enforcement making it jingle on purpose and then giving him praise and treats. I took him out for a walk, he still hates it, the collar and leash. He's better about walking on a leash than the ID tag that's for sure.

Pepper is really affectionate and sweet, but boy is he Pepper-y! spicy and feisty! he doesn't like to be placed on his back, or have any sort of restrain. He howls and yelps and tries to bite you! you'd think he was being abused. On a positive note, he is FINALLY caving and surrendering allowing me to check his gums, eyes, ears and hold his head...But cannot stand to be laid on his back. I remember when I did puppy training with Sadie our trainer he said that was just a sign of how dominant they wanted to be.

So please, all the more suggestions on asserting dominance are welcome!

As far as puppy classes, I did them before with Sadie and I loved them. I am waiting for him to get all his required shots within the next 3 weeks so we can sign him up. I am a huge believer in socializing and at least some sort of behavioral courses. It creates a nice bond and it's great for their interaction. Until then, I have some work to do in the next three weeks.

Thanks so much for all your kind words. Sadie was my first fur baby, the first family pet. My mom who always dislikes dogs had a change of heart because of her. Now she holds Pepper and hugs and kisses him. She always says Sadie changed her life. She was as much an angel here as she is in spirit. And yes, Pepper is carrying on that cheer that Sadie spread so well herself. He's building his own special place in our hearts and lives. So again, thanks very much for your words. Once I get more acquainted with the site I will load pictures of all my babies.

Congrats to you all, your fur kids are absolutely stunning. They look so sweet!

Hey Karla, I LOVE your babies...all are just adorable. I can see why Sadie was such a loving part of your family...I can see in her eyes how sweet she was.

As for Pepper...I would work on the basic commands and SIT is my most important and most used for puppies....NOT that I am by ANY means an expert. Once I teach sit, I then require the SIT before I feed, take for potty, give treats or picking up for hugs, (I am working hard on this one, my 6 month old wants to be held so will jump up on the back of my legs when I am busy...so I tell him to sit and then when he does I pick him up and lavish him with love and praise and hugs....but it is a work in progress). Wait is another good one for some of those same things, it is just your choosing. But when Pepper realized YOU are giving all those things he will begin to see you as the alpha. I was also told with my 2nd one to HAND feed at least one meal a day, again so he sees all good things come from you and he is dependent on YOU for food...that goes a long way. Those are just some starting points.

Does he like brushing? maybe if he lays on your lap for brushing, when he gets a little sleepy you could keep rocking him a little with your legs to get him a little more to his back....slow but sure....does that make sense? Then you gentle brushing will help him develop trust. Laying on their back is a submissive gesture for dogs and not all dogs can do that...

So good luck, hope a little of this may help....

[tzukeeper 12]

I've never had the tag issue but I know they make silencers for tags. Hope you find a remedy to that problem. Glad I don't wear tags....that would drive me crazy too!! As far as the dominance thing, you might try the NILIF training strategy. It has worked wonders in my home with my 8 babies. Here is a link telling all about NILIF and how to do it. The really great thing is that there is nothing to buy and it's just a 5 minute read. You can start doing it right away. I saw changes in my dogs in just a weeks time.

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

[Ozzy'sMommy 5]

as for the collar they have rubber tag silencers at petsmart and petco that wrap around the edges of tags. i got those for my oz since he had his license tag and then a smaller tag with our address and phone number on it. they cost about $2 each...well depending on size and some of them even glow in the dark. it really cuts down on the clanking noise!

[mom2Gizmo 24]

For the tags, just take clear tape and tape them together so they don't jingle.

As for asserting dominance, don't think of it that way so much. Think of it as being gentle and consistent with training and leadership. I would have him sleep in his crate next to your bed at night instead of actually in your bed. Beyond that, teach him his commands and then have him perform them before feeding, giving a treat, heading out the door, etc. Make it happy and fun. If you think of it as "asserting dominanace" I believe it becomes more a test of wills, and that's not fun. My belief is that everyone is so hyped up on this "the dog is trying to be alpha thing" and is too quick to jump to that conclusion. Sure, some dogs are more timid and compliant than others. But I believe that very few dogs make it their biggest mission in life to be alpha. I believe more that they just need to be given gentle leadership and they need to be clear on what is expected of them.

[mr.coffee 364]

I'll agree with that. Harley will hump or roll any dog that will let him, regardless of size - he likes to rumble with the bigger dogs! He's definitely a dominant type, but we've never really had to do much to assert ourselves with him. For a while, he was trying to hump Devon at every opportunity, so we made it Devon's job to feed him. It's kinda hard to hump the guy who's holding the food bowl out of reach...

The only time I ever roll Harley in a "Hey, listen up, I'm in charge here" kind of way is when he gets out of line and thinks he's gonna bite me, usually to tell me whether or not I can comb him. In every other situation I've found other, easier and more effective ways to handle him.

How does Pepper handle being collared sans tags?

-m

[SchatzieK 0]

Thanks all so much for your replies.

@tzuhouse thanks so much. Sadie was as much an angel in life as she is now in heaven. she made believers of people like my mom, who never liked animals, especially dogs..yet my mom became inconsolable when sadie passed. She will always say Sadie taught her the beauty and love animals have. Now she loves having Pepper and Cosmo around at all times.

Pepper hated brushing at first but then he's more accepting of it now, although still fidgets. But brushing his face and cleaning around his eyes has become so much easier so I consider that a HUGE accomplishment. He is growing more and more affectionate. I will definitely try more commands before feeding and other regular tasks.

@ Tzu keeper I will check your link out as soon as I finish up here, thanks so much!! I am sure it will be very insightful!! Thank you!!

@ mom2gizmo I agree and will definitely explore more on the gentle and happy way of "standing my ground". He's only 11 weeks and learning his place in our home and getting to know us more and more. He only has one tag, he gets his rabies in 3 weeks. The ONE tag alone against the metal hook or the floor makes him flip..so I will most def. have to work some miracles when he gets his rabies tag

I will admit, I've never crated any of my dogs. I have a big bathroom that has an open area facing our bedroom and I put the gate there. That's how I've always done it while they learn to pee on their pads (both Sadie and Pepper, learned within days!) and then I upgrade them into our room with the bed next to ours.

But same with other posters, the commands before meals and such sounds like a good idea. Hopefully in 3 weeks when he gets all his necessary shots we can begin training classes!

@ozzysmommy --I saw them at Pet Supermarket and have been meaning to buy them, thanks for the suggestion!

@ mr. coffee with collar sans tag is how we have him right now. He scratches it and whatnot but he's fine with it on. It's just the ID tag. When he hears it jingle he panics and flips out. He starts having fits and slamming into things I get so worried he's going to hit his head really hard that i just took it off. I hate seeing him tormented freaking out like crazy at the sound of it.

Thank you ALL so much ...SOOOO SOO MUCH !!! :)