lexi's misbehavior

let me start by saying how frustrated i am....
lexi is now 17wks old, she is normally the absolute sweetheart but.....
we've left her with my grandparents for the next 3 days b/c my husband and i are both nurses and we both work the night shift so since we sleep during the day and work at night we wouldnt have the time to dedicate to her during these days (usually our days alternate so one of us is always home but it didnt work out this time)
my grandparents however have a devious 2yr old jack russell at their house(which i cant stand by the way). and im afraid lexi is picking up all his bad habits and im so infuriated!! lexi in my opinion is extremely smart, she sits, stays, lays down, goes "potty", goes upstairs and downstairs, dosent bark, gives kisses on command, "shares" on command etc....
smart for a young puppy right?
so now that shes been over there, me and my husband went to visit her this morning before going home to bed, and she was barking at everything!!! she wouldnt sit on command, i had to tell her repeatedly at least 8 times to sit, she didnt want to stay in place when i went to feed her, she was growling when playing with her toys(growling both at me and by herself), i was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo upset!!!!!! this isnt my angel, shes never behaved like this before, and she had a perfect behavioral history up to just a day ago!! is she rebelling? is she absoulutely picking up every bad habit from the jack russell? is it something my grandparents are doing? should i not leave her there anymore? whats going on?? i was so upset i had to leave. this is not her at all and im blaming all of this on that dumb jack russell that dosent listen to anyone in that house! help me please im so furious

oh don't forget she's only a baby still yet, and it must have been quite unsettling for her with a change in routine etc.

She may be copying the Jack Russell {perhaps at another time you could help your Grandparents with some training} - but hopefully once you get her back home she will quickly adjust back to her routine and normal behaviour.

She is going to be very distracted in that environment, and don't forget that dogs are very environment orientated, so when you teach sit, you need to teach it in every room and the garden, at present she probably only thinks sit means sit when she's in the kitchen at YOUR house.

Repeating the command 8 times won't help - she will just learn to ignore you. You need to lure her into place with a tidbit or a toy.

Give her a few days to settle back into home and then restart your training, you were obviously doing exceptionally well before the change.

this isnt new for her, shes stayed over at my grandparents for a few days at a time on other occasions, in fact shes been at that house at least once a week since we got her. she was introduced to the jack russell when she was about 12weeks old and isnt the least bit intimidated by him. and she knows sit anywhere. my house, my friends house, outside, in every room, my grandparents house....
so the one room sit mentality isnt the problem.
and the environment cant be all that unfamiliar, shes over at that house so much that we kid that we(the whole family) has "joint custody" of her...lol

Yes, but hang on -- she is still only a *baby* and changing environments IS very distracting fora puppy and even if she goes there regularly, can still be the source of some anxiety, especially around this age. A 17 week old puppy also cannot be expected to know commands and consistently obey anything -- at this age you need training to be fun, lighthearted and a playful foundation for more serious and focused training that can happen after she is about 6 months old. She's the equivalent of a toddler, and toddlers as we all know selectively hear requests! If she has been doing all these things, that's fantastic, but really, it is a lot to expect a small puppy to learn and probably a bit too much training at this young age overall -- like expecting a three year old to be potty-trained, reading, making full sentences, etc -- don't push her too hard as this is overwhelming after a while and you likely are seeing some reaction against all the stuff she's been trying to hold in her mind while still so small in the fact that some is being forgotten -- it is just too much at that age. But who cares -- she has just a short puppyhood when you can let her be puppy-playful and the whole rest of her life to follow commands. Please don't try to have her all grown up when she is still just a playful baby. She needs her puppy time just as kinds need time to be kids, even if we are sure they are the next Mozart. Most puppies go through phases when they learn well and when they seem to 'forget'. This is completely normal but the important thing is not to be pushing and expecting what a small puppy cannot easily do. The very fact that you were asking a puppy to sit 8 times indicates it is time not to have these expectations from her -- also, repeating a command that is ignored is the way to undo all your basic fun training to date because she is learning it doesn't matter if she does what she is asked. You need training to be both rewarding for her and fun, and built to ensure success. This means short easy fun training sessions with rewards and never having firm expectations at this age. BTW many trainers do not even allow puppies under 6 months into training classes because many feel they are not ready to be given lots of commands.

And all the behaviour you are describing is NOT misbehaving -- it is perfectly normal puppy behaviour, including growling (many puppies growl at play, this is TOTALLY NORMAL. Don't worry -- and do not discourage it! All my dogs growl when playing especially Jaspar -- he is very vocal. It is never aggressive growling,it is play growling. There's a big difference and it is important to allow play growling. It helps them learn an important behaviour -- giving warnings! -- which if discouraged can result in a dog that bites without warning, a very serious behaviour problem/.

Also she is also just beginning to have her personality emerge -- her barking is likely starting because MOST puppies only just start to bark at this age and barking is as perfectly normal way of communicating excitement. It may well be that all this has nothing at all to do with her playing with her JRT friend. If you don't want her to bark, this is a training issue and you will need to be there with her to train and keep her isolated from other dogs with behaviours you do not want her to copy -- but your working schedule may sometimes affect your ability to do this which is a work scheduling issue, but not a misbehaviour issue for a puppy. If having her at your grandparents doesn't work for you, then you'll need a new solution -- home boarding or kennelling or making some alternative work arrangements. But really, this is an issue for the humans, not the puppy. And a puppy needs to be allowed to play and bark with other dogs -- it is what they do in play and to express joy. If she barks all the time at home, that is a separate training issue from play barking.

I'd really recommend getting this book by Dr Ian Dunbar

http://www.amazon.com/Before-After-Getting-Your-Puppy/dp/1577314557

as it will be really useful and full of advice for basic training but also what they can learn when, and what kinds of behaviours a dog shows. You'll feel more reassured too about what she is doing at various ages.

I think it is good that she gets a dog companion every week in the JRT and I wouldn't worry about what you are seeing. You will have a lot of challenges ahead in the next 8 months as she starts barking, teething, chewing, etc -- she is a dog after all, and will go through all these puppy stages! She has much ahead to learn and while you've had a good start with her it is very likely most of this will go out of her head and will need to be replaced by steady, rewards based, positive training on a daily basis -- a few 5-10 minute sessions daily are ideal, always keeping things fun. Then enroll her in a class when she gets to about 6 months.

thank u for ur advice. however, im not a tyrant. i understand fully she is a puppy. im not raising her blindfolded, i have a collection of books, and i also understand the puppy stages. right now at this point she is in the pre-adolscent stage and is quite normal for her to rebel and ignore recall on known commands. i am aware. i was simply voicing my frustration over the fact that her behavior changed drastically from yesterday to this morning. lexi is with me just about everyday of her life and i know what is not normal for her. i dont stand over her at all hours of the day barking commands at her. but the fact that she would growl and bark simply because someone would leave or enter her presence(and there was no play going on at the time, she was sitting quietly on her bed) is something she has never done before and is typical of that horrible JRT. he is a very frustrated and aggressive dog they cant even play together in the same room b/c no one knows how he might react from one second to the next. she is simply exhibiting behaviors that i by no means approve of. im not taking away her puppyhood, she is an extremely well socialized and happy little puppy. i just dont want to encourage behaviors that will carry over with her into adulthood.
so please dont think im clueless as how to raise a puppy, i was simply venting and voicing my frustration as these are behaviors ive NEVER seen in her before YESTERDAY.
thank u for ur sincere advice and opinions

Hello we luv lexi

Is this your first puppy?

Wow, 17 weeks is just a baby. In human terms that is 6 months old. What you describe to me just sounds like a normal little puppy having a blast of a time with another dog. I just can not imagine feeling frustrated, upset and furious? just because my puppy was hanging & having fun with another dog. Quite the contrary, I'd be getting the video camera out and capturing that moment to play back when she is old & has forgotten how to be a puppy. Treasure those moments because I promise you, they come & go in a blink of an eye.

Ok, so let's break this down a bit and see if we can convince you that your little Lexi is not going to turn into Satan incarnate.

my grandparents however have a devious 2yr old jack russell at their house(which i cant stand by the way).

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As further on you ask whether we think you should keep Lexi away from this little JR, would you mind explaining what he does that is do devious and why you can't stand him. We need to know this to be able to tell you if he truly is going to be such a dreadful influence. BTW JRs are a more frenetic personality than some dogs. It isn't that they are bad dogs, they are just more excitable & turbo charged is all. You also refer to him as dumb. I've yet to meet a dumb JR. A little unruly, yes but dumb?

lexi in my opinion is extremely smart, she sits, stays, lays down, goes "potty", goes upstairs and downstairs, dosent bark, gives kisses on command, "shares" on command etc....

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These are enormous achievements for a little puppy and it would be unrealistic to expect her to be like this all of the time. In fact, if she was like this all of the time, I'd be thinking that there was something wrong with her, because a puppy is meant to be a bit spunky at times.

she was barking at everything!!! she wouldnt sit on command, i had to tell her repeatedly at least 8 times to sit, she didnt want to stay in place when i went to feed her, she was growling when playing with her toys(growling both at me and by herself)

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Sound like she was super excited at seeing you and trying to communicate to you that she had a really fun day. Just thinking about it has a huge smile on my face. Have you ever seen a child that after coming home from his cousin's place is all revved up & needing a bit of time to settle down? Same thing!

i was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo upset!!!!!!

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Don't be. Celebrate her different moods. Give her a little space to let her hair down. Nurture the puppy in her, because this time next year that will all be gone, and if you don't enjoy it now, you will have missed out.

this isnt my angel, shes never behaved like this before, and she had a perfect behavioral history up to just a day ago!! is she rebelling? is she absoulutely picking up every bad habit from the jack russell? is it something my grandparents are doing? should i not leave her there anymore? whats going on?? i was so upset i had to leave. this is not her at all and im blaming all of this on that dumb jack russell that dosent listen to anyone in that house! help me please im so furious

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She is a flesh & blood puppy, not an angel. A perfect behavioural history sounds very unnatural to me. No she is not rebelling. Yes she may, as human children do, get some new ideas from the Jack Russel. Your grandparents sound like treasure to me, looking after your puppy while you are at work. It would be a shame to destroy such a generous relationship because your puppy gets excited when she visits.

we luv lexi said:

i have a collection of books, and i also understand the puppy stages. right now at this point she is in the pre-adolscent stage and is quite normal for her to rebel and ignore recall on known commands.

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Books are a wonderful source of information and I commend you for having a collection to refer to. However, they are not the same as a manual for operating a piece of machinery. They can only ever be a guide, because animals (& that includes humans) all develop & different rates & differently due to all sorts of things, genetics, environment yada yada. Try not to get too hooked up on what you think your puppy should be doing because it says so in a book.

You might consider taking Lexi along to some obedience classes. There you will learn, not only how to train your puppy, but perhaps more importantly in your case, what are realistic expectations to have of a puppy and later, an adult dog.

but the fact that she would growl and bark simply because someone would leave or enter her presence

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The poor little mite is just trying to communicate with you. She is talking, she is trying to get your attention. She was given vocal chords for a reason. Oh and someone else might have covered this, not sure, but play growling is also normal in a puppy and in some adults.

Just enjoy her! Ok, so she might get a little unruly after a visit with other dogs, or even the JR specifically, but just the same as overly excited children, once you are home, you should soon be able to settle her down & have her behaving as she normally does at home. After all, you are the alpha. You are the one she ultimately looks up to. Your influence is going to be far greater & far more lasting that visit to other dogs.

:flwr:

i love lexi to death, i by no means intended anyone to think i expected her to be a robot. of course shes a normal "spunky" dog and i encourage that. she runs and plays and jumps and that is all perfectly fine and i get pictures and video of all the cute things that she does. who wouldnt?
the JRT is an aggressive frustrated male that has attempted to attack on several different occasions and she was not playing with him at the time that all this ensued. i just think she was picking up on his negative behviors. THE END.

I don't think anyone was meaning to insinuate that you were a tyrant. We love our babies so much, its easy to get defensive, but there is some WONDERFUL advice and smiles being shared here that I hope you don't miss out on

I just wanted to post and say I had a wonderful time reading the replies to this board discussing happy, puppy antics. My little Franklin is the first puppy I have had in such a long time I am soaking up every minute of obnoxious, playful, goofy, awkward wiggly puppy that I can! Time really does fly!

As important as it is to have a well trained dog, it can't hurt to try to look at her rambunctiousness from a new (more endearing) angle - and it sure will save you allot of stress and frustration to boot!