Hyper and Uncontrollable in Puppy Obedience

rschluter

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for all the great topics and comments. We regularly browse this site for answers to our questions and concerns.

We have a 5 mo. old Weim named Bentley. He's too smart for his own good and is somewhat of a daddy's boy... (He makes mom jealous)

We've been going to puppy obedience for 3 weeks now and he's doing great! The only problem we're having is trying to keep him calm and quiet during class when the instructor trying to talk. It just amazes me that while I'm conducting mini-training sessions to keep our puppy busy; the other breeds are lying around like they're on vacation. And if I don't keep him busy, I find myself at the end of his leash and him barking at the puppy next to us. Does anyone have any other techniques for calming down their puppy?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

RK

schroeder was the same way. i had already taught him everything at home by the time we got to basic obedience and he was excellent in class when it came to doing his tasks...but he was also the most restless and excited. i had to keep his attention on me the entire time. required a lot of treats, and sometimes i would bring one of his toys for him.

emily

While the instructor is speaking I would continue with the obedience commands. Sit-then treat Down-then treat. Not only are you keeping his attention, but you're also practicing as well. Also you want to be using a really great treat during training class. Nothing got Scouts attention better than the promise of cooked chicken!

heathr

Riddick was pretty good in class, for the most part. I always made sure I took him to the park before class and tried to wear him out as much as possible (I could always tell in class the days we didn't get to go to the park)
Ridd has never really been a barker, but when he does it is usually in class. I taught him "quite" and it works pretty well, he has learned that barking doesn't get him what he wants, but acting nice will.
One thing in class that calms Riddick down if he is acting out or being obnoxious is rubbing his chest... it is really calming and soothing for dogs. It works for us almost everytime...

Hope this helps
Heather

PS- If you get a chance you should post some puppy pictures. I think that RK and I met you guys out at Sauvie Island when you were picking your pup up... would love to see how big he is now!!!

camismom

Cami is starting next week - thanks for the great advice

rschluter

Thanks for all the great tips! I'm glad to hear that our puppy is not the only displaying this type of behavior. You're right heathr, he behaves much better after we've ran the Weim out of him... And we were the couple that RK and you met at the Sauvie Island Field Trials. Thanks again for recommending this web site; it's been a real sanity saver!

sandra77

What I have found with my dog is that I must get there a bit earlier than class starts so she can say hello and interact with all the other dogs before getting down to business. Otherwise she is trying to get to the other dogs in class and it takes ages for her to calm down.

Sandra

weimlover

Oh Bentley is gorgeous Very Happy

I had the same trouble with Bailey, I remember it well Wink

I found that if I took him for a walk (not a long one) before training he was better. Also if I took him to training a little bit early and gave him time to sniff around, he was a lot better as well.

BustaGirl

Hi rschluter,
What a little darling Bentley is, so cute Very Happy

How has Bentley been going in class now Question

I have not had much of a problem with Busta in obedinec with the barking too much, occasionley when we really test her & shje has to sit & stay for a very long time next to me she may let out a bark in fustration of wanting more treats.

The key is here to reward, reward, reward with treasts & praise when ever Bentley is stitting or standing etc quiet & nice. If he does back, don't say anything hust ignor him than we he has stopped for a few seconds praise him & reward him & give him the command 'good boy', u have to do this quickley so he understands he is being rewarded for being quiet.

Also just don't start this at obedience, start it at home & try & keeps treats near by all around the house. Learning & teaching is a continuous thing for pups. I used to not feed my pup in the morning I did obedience aswell, so did allot of other people where I trained.
I found she would have more attention focused on me & my treats.

Hope this helps
Heidi

DXTAC · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 8:58 pm Post subject: Hyper Pup

We had the same issue with Amara our 1 year old. What I found to work was a brisk walk just before we left for class. It expended just enough energy so that she would pay attention but not fall asleep during class. She is now an AKC Good Canine Citizen graduate. Hope this helps.

Derek

WeiMe · Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 10:44 pm Post subject:

My weim Scout is 4 yrs old and she is still a busy body in class. I have found the only way to keep her focused is to take her for a long hike or bike ride before class. I think she is the only dog in her agility class that gets more exercise before class than during it!