Undesirable behaviour

[simona 0]

From the very first beginning I want to apology for my English.I hope you will be able to understand me.If not,please let me know,and I'll try to be more coherent.

Frudo is my first dog,he is 1 year old and he is with me since he was 7 month old.At the beginning everything was just fine.He was a nice and well-balanced little dog and very soon he started loving me as much as I loved him.Problems started about one and a half month ago,when I came home and I found his pet pad in pieces.I thought it was an accident,but it wasn't.Every time I left home,even for a few minutes he continued to do the same thing.He never ruined anything else.To avoid such things I took away the pad when I left home.I must say that most of the time I'm home but sometimes I must leave and let him alone for a couple of hours(maximum 4 hours).I realised that he hates to stay home alone but I thought that he will get used with it,but no,it wasn't so.

After short time,when he saw me dressing to go out,he started jumping on me and barking.He was so excited I barrely stoped him.Now,it is even worse.He gets so excited and he pulls my trousers with his teeth while he jumps on me and barks.Not once he bited me.He is not aggresive,he just want my attention and stops when I take him in my arms.I know he is spoilled but I love him so much and I tried to do all he wanted and when he wanted but this behaviour worries me.Is this separation anxiety?What can I do to stop him acting like this?Need some advice,please.

I forgot to tell you that I live with my husband and he leaves at work every morning but this doesn't bothers him at all.He doesn't even wake up.

[spygirl 0]

Hello! Your English isn't bad at all and I hope I can be of some help to you.

In my opinion, it sounds like Frudo is just used to getting his way most of the time. It sounds like he has become attached to you and has learned that your house is his house. I don't believe this is true separation anxiety, but more of a young dog who needs proper stimulation and boundaries.

Does Frudo know any commands, such as "sit" and "stay"? How often is he getting to go out and see new people and places? How often is he getting exercised? What kind of toys does he have?

Teaching a dog commands is a fantastic way to teach your dog manners and boundaries. If you're consistent with your commands, he'll soon learn that sitting politely will get him a bigger reward than barking and jumping. If there are any dog training classes near you, I'd sign up for one. These may be small dogs, but I know my Sophie goes nuts if she doesn't have AT LEAST one 30 minute walk a day. We usually do two walks. Always remember, a tired dog is a good dog! Again, Shih Tzus may be a toy breed, but they also need something to keep their little minds busy. Taking him to meet new people and places is good for socializing. Having a variety of toys helps a lot, as well. I usually offer a squeaky toy, a chewing toy, and some sort of what I call a "mind toy." "Mind toys" are toys that the dog has to figure out, like a puzzle. There's usually food involved. My personal favorite "mind toys" are called the "Buster Cube" and the "Kong" brand toys.

You mentioned he barks and jumps when he sees you getting ready to leave the house. You also said that when he acts this way, you pick him up. I would stop picking him up right now. If he barks and jumps to get your attention, ignore him until all four feet are on the ground and he is behaving properly. If you keep picking him up, you're only going to reward and encourage the bad behavior. When you're getting ready, talk is a soft, gentle manner. Try to keep the situation as calm as possible and try not to get him excited. Offer a toy to keep him preoccupied.

This is our routine when I leave... The dogs immediately can tell I'm getting ready to leave when I start to put my shoes on. I tell them in a soft voice, "I'm going to be gone for a couple of hours. Be good till I get back and then we'll go for a walk," or something along those lines. It doesn't matter what I say, but its the soft, soothing tone of my voice that keeps them calm. I then put both of them in their crates, give them a small treat, give them a "mind toy", and then calmly walk out the door. By the time I get back, they're usually napping and ready to go for a walk. I also find that if we talk a walk or have a hard play time session before I leave, it helps to keep them calm.

I know this is a lot to go through, but in the end, I think it will help you. Dogs can be funny creatures, but with the right balance of stimulation and exercise, then you can have one of the best behaved dogs ever! Well, most of the time anyway. Like humans, they're not always perfect. :whistling:

[simona 0]

Thank you spygirl for your quick answer.

I will answer your questions:Frudo knows the command sit and stay(if stay means lay down),but he do them only if a treat is involved.We are still working at this.He can be so stubborn sometimes.He gets out every day for at least a half an hour walk but only with the leash because I live in a city and we don't have a place were I can let him run free.He likes to run and sometimes I run with him in the park.He is friendly with people but shy with other dogs.We play every day inside.He has a lot of toys but he likes most a squeky toy.I throw the ball or the toy and he runs after it but he not always brings it back to me.When I don't play with him he is runing after our cat,but never hurts him.Unfortunately we don't have training classes .In my country it is very hard to find a trainer for a shih-tzu.They consider that it's a vaste of time to train a little dog.I know this is wrong but I'll try to do the best by myself with a little help from you.

I understood all you told me and I will follow your advise.

[MisterMom 11]

My Coco used to tear up her pee pads. She thought it was a game. I even taped them to floor & she still tore them up. I solved the problem by not using them. She will get in my chair and see if I left a paper towel or Kleenex on the table, grab it & shred it. Has more fun.

When I put my shoes on they get some excited, but not jumping on me. I tell them "guard the house, I'll be back" and they just go back to sleep, or watch out the window for me.

Like with kids, you have to choose your battles & decide which behavior is worth the time & effort to correct. The jumping & pulling can be stopped by NOT picking him up. Ignore him, he will quit.

Good luck.

[simona 0]

[quote name='spygirl' date='May 1 2011, 11:52 AM' post='211992

Teaching a dog commands is a fantastic way to teach your dog manners and boundaries. If you're consistent with your commands, he'll soon learn that sitting politely will get him a bigger reward than barking and jumping.

[spygirl 0]

[quote name='spygirl' date='May 1 2011, 11:52 AM' post='211992

Teaching a dog commands is a fantastic way to teach your dog manners and boundaries. If you're consistent with your commands, he'll soon learn that sitting politely will get him a bigger reward than barking and jumping.

I did a lot of reading and I found an article about NILF training.Is this what you meant?It sounds interesting and challenging.While I was reading I realised that it is all my fault and first of all I am the one who has to change.When he first came into the house Frudo was trained and I never had any problems with him, but spoiling him so much and letting him doing all he wanted wasn't of any good for him.I hope it's not to late to fix things.I just want back my good little boy.I'll do my best to make things work out.Is it ok if I use this method?Does it work?Please keep your fingers cross for us.

Any advice is valuable for us.Thank you in advance.

Yes, I'm a big fan of the "Nothing in Life is Free" training programs. It can be hard, but I personally think it works very well. Sophie is a very demanding and wants what she wants NOW!, while my TX Blue Lacy, Blue, is more mellow, but because of how big he is, it makes it easier to control him. Now both dogs automatically sit or lay down when they want something. Its a big help, especially now that I'm pregnant and getting big. It just makes my life easier. I would try it with him. And its good that you realize your role in the training and why his behavior is the way it is. Its the first step in training!

I would also suggest using a treat that he REALLY loves during training. And then use this treat only when training. He will soon realize that he'll get his favorite food and will want to work hard for it. Also, keep training sessions short and sweet. 5-10 minutes 3-4 times a day is a good start. That will keep him from getting bored with learning.

It will be hard at first, but you will get there. Shih Tzus are smart little dogs and he'll learn quickly. Good luck!

[simona 0]

Thank you spygirl for your advice.We already start working and I hope that everything will be fine.He sits when I ask him to sit but not always.I hope that in time he will make progresses.I"ll come back to say how is he doing.Thanks again.